St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate
Bishopsgate
London
EC2M 3TL
T: 020 7588 3388
Visitor Information
St Botolph was one of the earliest and most revered of East Anglian saints, and became known as the patron saint of wayfarers. This church, named after him, was unharmed in the Great Fire of 1666 but the medieval building had to be demolished in 1724, and was rebuilt by James Gould and his son-in-law George Dance the Elder between 1725 and 1729. The redbrick building stands unusually in its own churchyard, off busy Bishopsgate. Having only lost one window during bombings in World War II, the church and parish hall next door were devastated by the terrorist bombs in 1992 and 1993 but have undergone extensive restoration work since.
The oblong interior is galleried, with giant Corinthian columns, a glass dome over the nave, and some original Georgian fittings, though the church was heavily Victorianised later, with screens, stained glass, paintings, and choir stalls. The font, pulpit and organ all date from the eighteenth century. The dramatist Ben Jonson's son was buried here, whilst John Keats, born in Finsbury Pavement nearby, was baptised here in 1795.
St Botolph’s was the first of the City burial grounds to be converted into a public garden and it is a much used space by City workers. Netball and tennis courts adjoin the garden.