Description
The church is likely to be of Saxon origin and is dedicated to Edmund, the King of East Anglia who died in 870 attempting to escape the attacking Danes. It was also known as St Edmund's Grass-church due to the grass market once held nearby. It was burnt down in the Great Fire and rebuilt under the supervision of Wren; it was later restored in 1864 and again following WWII damage. In 2001 it became the London Centre for Spirituality. The existence of the churchyard is referred to in 1220; it closed for burials in 1853 and now has a small enclosed garden. Among those buried here was John Shute (d.1563), an architect who published what may be the first work on practical architecture in England. Joseph Addison, the celebrated essayist and politician, married Charlotte, Countess Dowager of Warwick and Holland, at St Edmund's in 1716.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | The London Centre for Spiritual Direction |
|---|---|
| Site location | Lombard Street/George Yard |
| Postcode | EC3V 9EA |
| What3Words | ///vanish.green.blues |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | City of London |
| Open to Public | By appointment only |
| Opening Times | By appointment, for access to garden: call 020 7621 1391 or 020 7626 5031 |
| Facilities | Bookshop Mon-Fri 10am-6pm. |
| Public Transport | Tube: Bank (Central, DLR, Northern, Waterloo & City) / Monument (Circle, District). |
| Research Updated | 1 February 2019 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The church is likely to be of Saxon origin, dedicated to Edmund, the King of East Anglia who died in 870 attempting to escape the attacking Danes; the church is mentioned in 1157-80 and in C13th wills. Existence of the churchyard is referred to in 1220. It was also known as St Edmund's Grass-church due to the grass market once held here from which the name Gracechurch Street derives. Once in the ownership of the Priory of the Holy Trinity, Aldgate, the church was given to the Archbishop of Canterbury after the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The church was burnt down in the Great Fire and rebuilt under the supervision of Wren by Hooke, with the steeple possibly by Hawksmoor, and was completed by 1690. At that time the parish amalgamated with that of St Nicholas Acon, which was destroyed in the Fire and whose churchyard in Nicholas Lane existed until the late C20th. St Edmund's was restored in 1864 by William Butterfield, and the church survived threat of demolition in 1889. Damaged in both World Wars and rebuilt each time, it was again restored. Among those buried in the old church was John Shute (d.1563), an architect who in 1550 was sent by the Duke of Northumberland to study in Italy after which he published what may be the first work on practical architecture in England. Joseph Addison, the English essayist and politician, was married here to Charlotte, Countess Dowager of Warwick and Holland on 9 August 1716.
The churchyard closed for burials in 1853 and is now a small garden with one tree, raised beds and shrubs. It opens onto George Yard (q.v.) laid out 1929-32 and the churchyard railings date from the same period. Writing in 'The Old Churches of London', Gerald Cobb refers to the churchyards of St Ethelberga and St Edmund that 'have been turned into prim little gardens'. In 2001 St Edmund's became the London Centre for Spirituality, which moved into the Vestry Hall in that year, and it remains a consecrated Church. The vision for the Centre's project came from the Bishop of London who appointed the first director, Andrew Walker, in 2000. The Centre received formal status as a charitable company in 2001 and began its activities over the course of the next 2 years. In 2017 the name was changed to the London Centre for Spiritual Direction.
The churchyard closed for burials in 1853 and is now a small garden with one tree, raised beds and shrubs. It opens onto George Yard (q.v.) laid out 1929-32 and the churchyard railings date from the same period. Writing in 'The Old Churches of London', Gerald Cobb refers to the churchyards of St Ethelberga and St Edmund that 'have been turned into prim little gardens'. In 2001 St Edmund's became the London Centre for Spirituality, which moved into the Vestry Hall in that year, and it remains a consecrated Church. The vision for the Centre's project came from the Bishop of London who appointed the first director, Andrew Walker, in 2000. The Centre received formal status as a charitable company in 2001 and began its activities over the course of the next 2 years. In 2017 the name was changed to the London Centre for Spiritual Direction.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ328810 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.0175 |
| Site Ownership | Diocese of London |
| Site Management | Church |
| Dates | C12/13; 1850s |
| Listed Structures | LBI: St Edmund'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 | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Bank |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
George Yard had long existed as a narrow alleyway and was opened out in 1929-32 to provide a large paved courtyard as office development took place, becoming George Square. It has changed over the C20th as new building has taken place. In 1986-94 Barclays Bank built new premises here with the main entrance onto George Square, where 5 decorative reliefs commissioned for the Bank's previous premises at Lombard Street were mounted, showing old street signs of former properties and occupants of the site. The courtyard is largely hard landscaped.
St Michael's Church is of early origin, known to have been given to the Abbey and Convent of Evesham in 1055, and in 1503 it was conveyed to the Drapers' Company. The south side of the church had a cloister, and a pulpit cross was erected in the churchyard in 1528. The church was originally open to the north to Cornhill with a small churchyard but this was sold and built over between 1547-53. The church was destroyed in the Great Fire and rebuilt by 1672, the tower initially repaired then rebuilt by 1721. Some of Wren's work was lost when St Michael's was remodelled in 1857-60 by Sir George Gilbert Scott. Many famous people were buried here, including Robert Fabian, John Stow's father and grandfather, and Sir William Cowper. The former churchyard was laid out as a garden with lawns, flower beds, shrubs and trees, and a row of benches against the church wall.
Although the first written reference to St Peter Cornhill is in 1040, there is a legend that the church was founded in AD179 by Lucius, first Christian King of Britain. A Roman wall passed beneath the north-east corner of the church. Destroyed in the Great Fire, the present church was built by Wren in 1677-84. There was a churchyard by 1231 to the south of the church, which was mentioned by Charles Dickens in 'Our Mutual Friend', who described the graves 'conveniently and healthfully elevated above the living'. The churchyard is now laid out as public gardens with a raised area of grass, trees and shrubbery on either side of the path from the entrance on St Peter's Alley. Surmounted on the Victorian wrought iron gates is a small figure of St Peter. The garden was re-landscaped in 1997.
