St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Churchyard
London
EC4M 8AD
T: 020 7236 4128
E: visits@stpaulscathedral.org.uk
Visitor Information
Architect: Sir Christopher Wren
Built: 1675-1710
Size: 155 metres long; 108.4 metres
A cathedral dedicated to St Paul has stood on this site until 604AD. The current cathedral – the fourth to occupy this site – was designed by the court architect Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. The five monarchs who oversaw its building were determined that London’s leading church should be as beautiful and architecturally important as their private palaces. And the pillared entrance flanked by two ornate towers with the dome and cross in the centre – inspired by St Peter’s Basilica in Rome – is certainly breathtaking.
The cathedral is based on Wren’s fourth design, in which he attempted to integrate his preferred Renaissance concepts into a more Gothic style, the predominant form of English churches. Constructed from Portland stone, chosen for its good carving and weathering qualities, it was the first English cathedral to be completed in the lifetime of the original architect; construction work was carried out under such secrecy that parts of the building were continually under wraps.
The famous dome stands at 108.4 metres high and it is possible to climb the 530 steps to the Golden Gallery for panoramic views of London; the famous Whispering Gallery runs 30.2 m around the dome. The walls are particularly thick to avoid the need for large flying buttresses. Inside the cathedral are signifiers of changing times: Jean Tijou’s beautiful wrought iron gates of 1700, the 1695 organ which Mendelssohn once played and magnificent mosaics, the result of Queen Victoria’s mid-19th century complaint that the interior was “most dreary, dingy and undevotional.” Artists and craftsmen who worked on the building include Sir James Thornhill who painted the eight monochrome paintings of the life of St Paul that adorn the interior of the dome, Grinling Gibbons who was responsible for the woodwork, Bernard Smith who designed and built the organ and Francis Bird who sculpted the west pediment showing the conversion of St Paul and the large sculptures on the west front. In the cavernous crypts are over 200 memorials along with a café, a fine-dining restaurant and the cathedral shop.
St Paul’s has played host to many momentous ceremonies, including the funerals of Nelson, Wellington and Churchill; the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II; and the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. In 2000, the cathedral began a £40m restoration programme to celebrate the 300th anniversary of its 'topping out', due for completion in 2011.