Description
A church dedicated to St Magnus the Martyr has been on the site from at least the C11th. An earlier building destroyed in the Great Fire was rebuilt by Wren in 1671-84, the stone tower completed some 30 years later, its projecting clock once the only clock visible to those crossing London Bridge. Among those buried here were various City dignitaries including Lord Mayors of London of the C14th-C17th. The church was substantially altered in the 1760s firstly following a fire and soon after this when the road onto Old London Bridge was widened. A pedestrian route was created by demolishing two of the church's west bays, when the lower storey of the tower became an external porch. In the churchyard is a fragment of timber, one of the oak baulks of which the early Roman embankment was built, and fragments of stone arches from Old London Bridge.
Practical Information
| Site location | Lower Thames Street |
|---|---|
| Postcode | EC3R 6DN |
| What3Words | ///rushed.ankle.object |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | City of London |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted. Church: Tue-Fri: 10am-4pm, Sun 10am-2pm |
| Public Transport | Tube: Monument (District, Circle) / Bank (Central, DLR, Northern, Waterloo & City) |
| Research Updated | 1 May 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
A church dedicated to St Magnus the Martyr has been on the site from at least the C11th and an earlier building was destroyed in the Great Fire. Among those buried here were Henry Vevale in 1400 and various City dignitaries including a number of Lord Mayors of London of the C14th to C17th. Following Dissolution of the Monasteries the church came into possession of the crown and was granted to the Bishop of London by Queen Mary in 1553. After the Fire, rebuilding by the parish church was begun in 1668 and completed by Wren in 1671-84, the stone tower with octagonal cupola completed some 30 years later. The clock that projects from the tower was once the only clock visible to those crossing London Bridge and was presented by Sir Charles Duncombe in the early C18th, who had apparently been late for an appointment as an apprentice due to not finding a clock to tell him the time and had decided that if he ever had the means he would redress this so that others might not suffer in like manner. Duncombe also presented the church with the organ of 1712 by Jordan. A plaque on the site states that the churchyard had formed part of the roadway approach to the Old London Bridge between 1176 and 1831. The church was substantially altered in the 1760s firstly following a fire destroying the vestry room and church roof and soon after this when the road onto Old London Bridge was widened and a pedestrian route created by demolishing two of the church's west bays, at which time the lower storey of the tower became an external porch.
At one time the rector was Miles Coverdale who was responsible for the first complete English bible published in 1535; a tablet was erected to him in St Magnus in 1837 and his remains were moved here from St Bartholomew's-by-the-Exchange when that church was destroyed in 1840. The parish was amalgamated with that of St Margaret New Fish Street, a church destroyed in the Great Fire, its site is now The Monument, and also that of St Michael Crooked Lane, a C13th church demolished in 1831 when London Bridge Approach was built.
The churchyard is largely paved with some planting towards the river up low steps and there are railings fronting onto Lower Thames Street. In the churchyard is a fragment of timber, one of the oak baulks of which the early Roman embankment was built, which was found on the other side of Lower Thames Street in 1931. A Roman gateway leading from the bridge to the City of London probably stood where the tower is. Also in the churchyard are a number of fragments of stone arches from Old London Bridge discovered in 1921 when Adelaide House, adjacent to the church, was built.
At one time the rector was Miles Coverdale who was responsible for the first complete English bible published in 1535; a tablet was erected to him in St Magnus in 1837 and his remains were moved here from St Bartholomew's-by-the-Exchange when that church was destroyed in 1840. The parish was amalgamated with that of St Margaret New Fish Street, a church destroyed in the Great Fire, its site is now The Monument, and also that of St Michael Crooked Lane, a C13th church demolished in 1831 when London Bridge Approach was built.
The churchyard is largely paved with some planting towards the river up low steps and there are railings fronting onto Lower Thames Street. In the churchyard is a fragment of timber, one of the oak baulks of which the early Roman embankment was built, which was found on the other side of Lower Thames Street in 1931. A Roman gateway leading from the bridge to the City of London probably stood where the tower is. Also in the churchyard are a number of fragments of stone arches from Old London Bridge discovered in 1921 when Adelaide House, adjacent to the church, was built.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ329806 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.0318 |
| Site Ownership | Diocese of London |
| Site Management | City of London Corporation Open Spaces Dept. |
| Dates | medieval; 1671 |
| Listed Structures | LBI: St Magnus the Martyr 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 | Yes - Thames Policy Area |
| Other LA Designation | Strategic Viewing Corridor |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
The Fishmongers' Company has its origins in at least the C12th and was granted its first Charter in 1272. The Company has had premises here since the C16th, the current Hall built in 1831-35 to replace an earlier hall when part of its site was needed for the new London Bridge Approach. Additional offices were built it 1976/7 facing Upper Thames Street and Swan Lane, at which time the courtyard between the wings was enlarged and laid out as a small garden open to the river. It is on two levels and largely paved with a flower border and a few trees. A statue of James Hulbert, benefactor of the Fishmongers' Company, was brought from the Fishmongers' Almshouses at Bray in Berkshire, and on one wall are the arms from the entrance of the C17th Hall.
One Tree Park is on the site of the Upper Burying Ground of the parish of St Botolph by Billingsgate, with a plaque to this effect set into the paved courtyard. Old gate and stone piers, possibly dating from the C18th, remain at the corner of Monument Street. The medieval church of St Botolph Billingsgate stood south of Lower Thames Street to the east of the former churchyard; it was rebuilt in the late C16th but later destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and not rebuilt. Part of the site was used for the widening of Thames Street. The parish was joined to that of St George Botolph Lane, for which the churchyard become an additional burial ground.
The church of St Martin Orgar formerly stood here, its name arising from a Deacon called Ordgarus who owned the church, which he presented prior to c.1181 to the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's. It had a churchyard by c.1250. The building was damaged but not entirely destroyed in the Great Fire and part of the tower and nave were subsequently repaired and converted as a meeting place and chapel for French Huguenot Protestants. By c.1820 this had become ruinous and all but the tower was demolished, which acted as the entrance to the burial ground for the parish of St Clement and now occupied the site of the old church. The former churchyard remains as a raised garden in private use.
