Description
Paternoster Square is an ancient space, rendered sacred by association with Paternoster Row where the clergy of St Paul's used to walk in procession, telling their rosary beads and reciting the Paternoster prayer. It was once the site of the Newgate Meat Market. Bombed in 1940, Paternoster Square was laid out in 1956 as part of post-war reconstruction as a large pedestrian plaza surrounded by office blocks. Predominantly hard landscaped, it had seating, some planting and a bronze sculpture by Elisabeth Frink commissioned in 1975. Redevelopment plans were under discussion in the mid 1980s, but building only commenced in 2001, completed in 2003. The paved square retained the Frink sculpture in the north end and in the centre is the 23m high Paternoster Square Column. The historic Temple Bar was re-erected here as the entrance from St Paul's Cathedral and opened to the public in late 2004.
Practical Information
| Site location | Paternoster Square, St Paul's Churchyard |
|---|---|
| Postcode | EC4M 7DX |
| What3Words | ///safety.happy.pasta |
| Type of Site | Square |
| Borough | City of London |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | none |
| Public Transport | St Paul's (Central) |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Paternoster Square is an ancient space, rendered sacred by association with Paternoster Row, a street that has its origins in medieval times when the clergy of St Paul's used to walk in procession, telling their rosary beads and reciting the Paternoster prayer. It had once been the site of the Newgate Meat Market. The Paternoster area was bombed in 1940 and in 1956 a redevelopment scheme by William Holford went ahead. Holford was one of the authors (with Charles Holden and Leslie Martin) of the 1947 Report on reconstruction in the City of London. Paternoster Square was laid out on an existing area of public open space as part of redevelopment north of St Paul's Cathedral and consisted of a large pedestrian plaza above a car park surrounded by office blocks, predominantly hard landscaped, with seating, some trees, shrubs and flowers in planters. A bronze sculpture by Elisabeth Frink, ‘Paternoster - Shepherd and Sheep', was commissioned for the Square in 1975. Raised walkways were to have linked to the City Walkway Network to London but were not built.
Described variously as ‘outstandingly well conceived', draughty, harsh and forbidding, plans for the redevelopment of Paternoster Square were under discussion from the mid 1980s with various proposals put forward. A consortium of developers came together and a plan by John Simpson was initially adopted in 1989, with Terry Farrell as the master planners, which revived some of the old street layout. This was later superseded and a new scheme with Sir William Whitfield as consultant was undertaken, including a central colonnaded square. Building commenced in 2001 and was completed in 2003. The Frink statue was reinstated at the north end of the square on a new plinth. Also in the square is the Paternoster Square Column, designed by architects Whitfield Partners and constructed by stone-masons CWO (Cathedral Works Organisation); it is a 23m high Portland stone Corinthian column at the top of which is a flaming copper urn covered with gold leaf, which is illuminated by fibre-optic lighting at night.
The historic Temple Bar was re-erected as the entrance to the Paternoster Square redevelopment from St Paul's Cathedral (q.v.) and opened to the public in late 2004. Temple Bar, one of London's gateways, marked the boundary between City of London and City of Westminster. Commissioned by Charles II, the Portland stone arch was designed by Christopher Wren and constructed in 1669-1672. Traitors' heads were mounted on pikes and exhibited on the roof in the C18th. Temple Bar was dismantled in 1878 when the Corporation of London needed to widen the road, but the 2,700 stones were retained and stored. They were purchased in 1880 by the brewer Sir Henry Meux who re-erected the arch as a gateway at his house, Theobald's Park near Enfield, where it remained until 2003, although it had been purchased by the Temple Bar Trust from the Meux Trust for £1 in 1984. It was again carefully dismantled and has been re-erected by CWO at Paternoster Square.
Described variously as ‘outstandingly well conceived', draughty, harsh and forbidding, plans for the redevelopment of Paternoster Square were under discussion from the mid 1980s with various proposals put forward. A consortium of developers came together and a plan by John Simpson was initially adopted in 1989, with Terry Farrell as the master planners, which revived some of the old street layout. This was later superseded and a new scheme with Sir William Whitfield as consultant was undertaken, including a central colonnaded square. Building commenced in 2001 and was completed in 2003. The Frink statue was reinstated at the north end of the square on a new plinth. Also in the square is the Paternoster Square Column, designed by architects Whitfield Partners and constructed by stone-masons CWO (Cathedral Works Organisation); it is a 23m high Portland stone Corinthian column at the top of which is a flaming copper urn covered with gold leaf, which is illuminated by fibre-optic lighting at night.
The historic Temple Bar was re-erected as the entrance to the Paternoster Square redevelopment from St Paul's Cathedral (q.v.) and opened to the public in late 2004. Temple Bar, one of London's gateways, marked the boundary between City of London and City of Westminster. Commissioned by Charles II, the Portland stone arch was designed by Christopher Wren and constructed in 1669-1672. Traitors' heads were mounted on pikes and exhibited on the roof in the C18th. Temple Bar was dismantled in 1878 when the Corporation of London needed to widen the road, but the 2,700 stones were retained and stored. They were purchased in 1880 by the brewer Sir Henry Meux who re-erected the arch as a gateway at his house, Theobald's Park near Enfield, where it remained until 2003, although it had been purchased by the Temple Bar Trust from the Meux Trust for £1 in 1984. It was again carefully dismantled and has been re-erected by CWO at Paternoster Square.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ319812 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | private consortium |
| Site Management | private consortium |
| Dates | 1960s; 1990s/2003 |
| Designers | William Holford (1960s); to check Whitfield as designer of late 1990s layout |
| Listed Structures | LBI: Temple Bar |
| 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 | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - St Paul's Heights Policy Area |
| Other LA Designation | Strategic Viewing Corridor |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
The churchyard gardens are part of the precincts of St Paul's Cathedral and an important part of its setting. The first cathedral was erected in 604 and the present cathedral by Christopher Wren is the 5th on the site. His third design was accepted in 1675 and building took 35 years, completion marked by the statue of Queen Anne erected in 1712. By 1870 the cathedral precinct consisted of 5 sites comprised of former churchyards and the cathedral forecourt. The churchyards were closed for burial and negotiations to create recreational open space began in 1874, with agreement reached with the Dean and Chapter in 1878. The gardens were opened by the Lord Mayor on 22 September 1879. Trees in the area south of the nave include London plane, gingko, maple, lime, ash, mulberry and eucalyptus. In the north are some of the oldest plane trees in the City and a giant fir tree; at the south gate is a rose garden.
Christchurch Greyfriars Church Garden is on the site of the Franciscan Church of Greyfriars, established in 1225, following the arrival from Italy of 9 Franciscan monks, called Greyfriars from the colour of their clothing. Their monastery had many influential benefactors including Richard Whittington, Lord Mayor, who founded a library here in 1429. Numerous well-known people were buried in the old church, including four queens. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries the church was converted for use as a parish church. Destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 it was rebuilt by Christopher Wren, but later destroyed all but the west tower in WWII. It was decided not to rebuild the church and some land was lost to road widening in the 1960s. The present rose garden was laid out on the site in 1989 with rose beds and box hedges outlining the nave of Wren's church, with wooden towers representing the pillars that held up the roof.
The former churchyard lies to the west of the Wren tower, all that remains of Christchurch Greyfriars. A Priory was established here in 1225, following the arrival from Italy of a group of Franciscan monks, called Greyfriars from the colour of their clothing. The Priory was later dissolved by Henry VIII but in 1546 the church and other Priory buildings became 'Christ Church within Newgate'. The church was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and a new church by Christopher Wren completed in 1704. Smaller than the church it replaced, the remainder of the site to the west was enclosed as the burial ground. The walled and railed churchyard became a garden and public open space in 1872, and is largely grass, a few mature trees, two chest tombs and a number of headstones.
