Description
St Alban's Church may have originated as an C8th chapel built by King Offa, founder of St Alban's Abbey. The church was rebuilt in 1633/4 but was badly damaged in the Great Fire of 1666 and rebuilt by Wren, completed in 1685. Following bomb damage in WWII it was demolished in 1955 apart from the Tower, which was restored in 1964 and later converted to a house. It stands on an island site in the middle of Wood Street, with minimal landscaping. The churchyard had been to the north of the building, now entirely built over by roadway and buildings.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | St Alban Wood Street |
|---|---|
| Site location | Wood Street |
| Postcode | EC2V 7AF |
| What3Words | ///nature.sock.plans |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | City of London |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: St Paul's (Central); Tube: Moorgate (Hammersmith & City, Circle, Northern, Metropolitan). Rail: Moorgate |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
St Alban's Church may have originated as an C8th chapel built by King Offa, founder of St Alban's Abbey. In 1077 the 14th Abbot passed the church to the master of St James Hospital Westminster and in 1477 it transferred to the Provost and Fellows of Eton College. The church was rebuilt, attributed to Inigo Jones in 1633/4 but was badly damaged in the Great Fire of 1666 and rebuilt by Wren, completed in 1685. Once more restored in 1858/9 the church was badly bombed in World War II and was demolished in 1955 apart from the Tower, which was restored in 1964 and in 1984/5 converted to a house by Frederick Burn, Smith and Partners. It stands on an island site in the middle of Wood Street, with minimal landscaping including two small trees. The churchyard had been to the north of the building, now entirely built over by roadway and buildings.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ323814 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.0156 |
| Site Ownership | City of London Corporation |
| Site Management | Open Spaces Dept. |
| Dates | C8th onwards; 1960s |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: Tower of former St Alban's Church |
| 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 | No |
| Other LA Designation | Strategic View - Consultation Area |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
St Mary Aldermanbury may derive its name from the Aldermans' Berry or Court Hall, which stood nearby, or from a family by the name of Aldermanbir associated with the church. There was a church by at least 1181 and a churchyard by c1250. The old church was largely destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and rebuilt by Christopher Wren. Following WWII bomb damage, the church and churchyard site was acquired by the Corporation of London with residual land from Wood Street Police Station, and laid out as public gardens. The footings of the C15th church, over which Wren had built, remain in the lawn in the east of the garden. To the west is a monument to John Heminge and Henry Condell, fellow actors of Shakespeare, after whose death in 1616 they collected his works and published them at their own personal expense.
In 1189 there is a reference to the church here as 'Ecclesia de Staningehage', Staining probably referring to a landowner from Staines. Oat Lane is probably so-called for an oat market that existed here by the C16th. St Mary Staining Church was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and not restored. In 1965 the Corporation of London took over the maintenance of the open space created on the site of the church and churchyard. The garden is a raised area of lawn with a large plane tree, path on two sides and tombstones ranged along the back. It is overlooked by Pewterers' Hall, which was built here in 1959-61 after the Company's hall in Lime Street was demolished in 1932.
It is probably near here that the English Kings lived prior to the establishment of the Palace at Westminster by Edward the Confessor. On the north side is the Hall of the Brewers' Company, based here since c.1408. Aldermanbury Square was laid out in 1962 following significant war damage in the area as part of the London Wall Plan of 1955. An oval traffic island rather than a square, it was first laid out in a symmetrical arrangement of flower beds, lawn, paving and seating. Re-landscaping took place for the Millennium enabled by the Brewers' Company but in 2006 it was again reconfigured as part of the Street Scene Challenge initiative run by the City of London. It is now a traffic-free public space with tree planting, lighting, seating and a water feature.
