Description
Abchurch Yard is the former churchyard of St Mary Abchurch. First references to the church here date from the C12th and the churchyard existed by 1218, the remains of which lie to the south of the building. Formerly an enclosed burial ground, the Bishop of London allowed it to be opened up as a paved space 'for the convenience of the neighbourhood' and an engraving of 1838 shows that it was cobbled with posts on at least two sides dividing it from Abchurch Lane, the church separated by low railings and small gate to the south door. In 1877 the paving design of circular patterns in decorative stones and cobbles was laid out.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | St Mary Abchurch Churchyard |
|---|---|
| Site location | Abchurch Lane/Abchurch Yard |
| Postcode | EC4N 7BA |
| What3Words | ///wakes.jolly.card |
| Type of Site | Square |
| Borough | City of London |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted. Church: Mon-Thur 10.30am-3pm; Fri 10.30am-12noon |
| Facilities | none |
| Public Transport | Tube: Monument (District, Circle) / Bank (Central, DLR, Northern, Waterloo & City); Cannon Street (District, Circle) |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
St Mary Abchurch is possibly so-called after a benefactor called Abbe or Abbo, or the name may be a corruption of Upchurch, for its site was once on rising land. The first reference to the church is in the C12th, to 'Robert, the priest of Habechirck' and the church was originally a daughter chapel of St Mary Overie, now Southwark Cathedral (q.v.). The churchyard existed by 1218. A c.C14th vaulted chamber, probably the undercroft of a chapel, was discovered beneath the churchyard after the church was bombed in World War II. In 1395 Simon de Wychecombe founded a chantry here by license from Richard II of which the Rector and Churchwardens of St Mary were patrons, who in 1437 with the agreement of the parishioners granted a license to two chaplains of the chantry to build a house in the west part of the churchyard. St Mary Abchurch was badly damaged in the Great Fire and rebuilt by Wren in 1681- 1686 who may have moved the tower from south-west to its north-west position. Wren's dome has fine painting by William Snow representing the Name of God in Hebrew with seated figures of the Virtues, restored in 1946-53 and again in 1994/5, and the church has fine carvings by Grinling Gibbons. After the Great Fire, the parish of St Mary united with that of St Lawrence Pountney (q.v.), which was destroyed and not rebuilt. Among the monuments in the church is that of Sir Patience Ward, Lord Mayor in 1681, buried here in 1696. The church suffered bomb damage and was restored in 1945-57.
The remains of the churchyard lie to the south of the building. Formerly enclosed as a burial ground, the Bishop of London allowed it to be opened up as a paved space 'for the convenience of the neighbourhood' (Godwin) and an engraving of 1838 shows that it was cobbled with posts on at least two sides dividing it from Abchurch Lane, the church separated by low railings and small gate to the south door. In 1877 paving design by Edward I'Anson, who also carried out works in the church, was laid out which consists of circular patterns in decorative paving stones and cobbles. Today this layout remains, with seats along the church wall and rows of bollards on three sides.
The remains of the churchyard lie to the south of the building. Formerly enclosed as a burial ground, the Bishop of London allowed it to be opened up as a paved space 'for the convenience of the neighbourhood' (Godwin) and an engraving of 1838 shows that it was cobbled with posts on at least two sides dividing it from Abchurch Lane, the church separated by low railings and small gate to the south door. In 1877 paving design by Edward I'Anson, who also carried out works in the church, was laid out which consists of circular patterns in decorative paving stones and cobbles. Today this layout remains, with seats along the church wall and rows of bollards on three sides.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ327809 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.0325 |
| Site Ownership | Diocese of London |
| Site Management | City of London Corporation Dept. of Technical Services |
| Dates | C12, C14, 1681-6; 1877 |
| Designers | Edward I'Anson (1877 paving of churchyard) |
| Listed Structures | LBI: St Mary Abchurch |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | City of London |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Abchurch Yard |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Other LA Designation | Strategic View - Consultation Area |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Portsoken Street Garden was created after WWII with financial assistance from the King George's Fields Foundation, and is the smallest King George's Field in the country. The Foundation, set up as a memorial following the King's death in 1936, provided funding for the creation or improvement of a great many playing fields before it was dissolved in 1965, including £10,000 to the City for this site. 1980s re-landscaping consisted of a water feature with fountain and pools within circular brick walls, perimeter path, seating and planting of shrubs, bedding displays and trees. The garden was redesigned in 2010 to create a new play area, with an emphasis on introducing natural play.
The Tower of London and the area around it was formerly part of the Liberties of the Tower. Along the northern boundary of the sunken grassed area of the Tower Moat is a pedestrian walkway that runs around the moat. A steep bank of planting forms the northern boundary of the walkway with an area of public garden in the east corner, with grass, trees, shrub beds and seating. These public gardens were laid out in 1888 by Fanny Wilkinson, landscape gardener of the MPGA.
Tower Hill Gardens are divided from London Wall Gardens by the best preserved fragment of Roman City Wall that remains, running c.68m from Trinity Place. The public open space was simply landscaped with paths, grass, a number of trees and a few flower beds but was re-designed in 2010 to create a new play area, one of two such facilities in the City as part of the Corporation's City Play Partnership. The design placed an emphasis on introducing natural play by including plants, mounding of lawn areas and using natural materials.
