Description
St Stephen Walbrook is the parish church of the Lord Mayor of London. There was once a C7th Saxon church here, itself probably built on the foundations of a C2nd or C3rd temple of Mithras. St Stephen's was originally on the west side of the Walbrook stream, but in 1428 the Lord Mayor purchased land from the Grocers' Company on the east side to build a new, larger church. Destroyed in the Great Fire, the church was rebuilt by Wren, becoming one of his largest parish churches. It was bomb-damaged in 1941 and re-dedicated in 1954. The raised churchyard behind the church is now a garden, shaded by trees and largely paved, with seats and modern sculpture.
Practical Information
| Site location | 39 Walbrook, Mansion House |
|---|---|
| Postcode | EC4N 8BN |
| What3Words | ///planet.hobby.sentences |
| Type of Site | Private Garden |
| Borough | City of London |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | Church normally open weekdays 10am-3.30pm |
| Events | Concerts and events in church, check website for details |
| Public Transport | Tube: Bank (Central, DLR, Northern, Waterloo & City) / Monument (Circle, District); Mansion House (Circle, District) |
| Research Updated | 12 June 2023 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
St Stephen Walbrook is the parish church of the Lord Mayor of London. On the site was once a C7th Saxon church, itself probably on foundations of a C3rd Mithras temple preserved in Queen Victoria Street. St Stephen's church, originally on the west side of the Walbrook, is first mentioned c.1096; in c.1100 it was given by Eudo in the reign of Henry I to the monastery of St John at Colchester. In 1428 the Lord Mayor of London purchased land from the Grocers' Company on the east side of the Walbrook to build a new, larger church; this was completed in 1439, and patronage of the church was given to the Grocers' Company in 1474 by Richard Lee, one-time Lord Mayor, who had been granted it by Edward IV. This building was destroyed in the Great Fire and rebuilt by Wren in 1672-79. After the Fire, the parish of the nearby church of St Benet Sherehog in Pancras Lane, destroyed and not rebuilt in 1666, was united with that of St Stephen. St Stephen Walbrook is one of Wren's largest parish churches and according to Pevsner the most majestic, now much crowded in by buildings. The dome was an early attempt at such a structure by Wren. Its spire was added to the square tower in 1713-15 as were square urns on the tower balustrade, and may have been designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor; the design is similar to those of St James Garlickhithe (q.v.) and St Michael Paternoster (q.v.). The architect Sir John Vanbrugh was buried here in the north aisle of the church.
Wren's church suffered bomb damage in 1941 and was re-dedicated in 1954. Further restoration took place between 1978-87 and the church was re-dedicated in 1987, with an altar commissioned from Henry Moore for the church carved in 1972. The Samaritans were founded here in 1953.
The pleasant tree-lined and largely paved raised churchyard garden is tucked behind St Stephen's Church, bounded by a wall topped with iron railings, with access from St Stephen's Row through ornamental gate flanked by fine stone piers, with steps leading up to churchyard garden. The Churchwardens' Accounts of 1577-8 list xij d. 'for cutting the hedges in the Church yeard' and in 1604-5 ij s. 'paid for Cutting the Grasse plot and weeding the Allies in ye Churchyard'.
St Stephen's Churchyard Garden was relandscaped following development works to the adjacent site, and today has paving, seats and a modern sundial. A stone bench commemorates the landscape gardener, Lanning Roper, who redesigned the garden in 1975-82 by Lord Peter Palumbo.
Wren's church suffered bomb damage in 1941 and was re-dedicated in 1954. Further restoration took place between 1978-87 and the church was re-dedicated in 1987, with an altar commissioned from Henry Moore for the church carved in 1972. The Samaritans were founded here in 1953.
The pleasant tree-lined and largely paved raised churchyard garden is tucked behind St Stephen's Church, bounded by a wall topped with iron railings, with access from St Stephen's Row through ornamental gate flanked by fine stone piers, with steps leading up to churchyard garden. The Churchwardens' Accounts of 1577-8 list xij d. 'for cutting the hedges in the Church yeard' and in 1604-5 ij s. 'paid for Cutting the Grasse plot and weeding the Allies in ye Churchyard'.
St Stephen's Churchyard Garden was relandscaped following development works to the adjacent site, and today has paving, seats and a modern sundial. A stone bench commemorates the landscape gardener, Lanning Roper, who redesigned the garden in 1975-82 by Lord Peter Palumbo.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ326810 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.0297 |
| Site Ownership | Diocese of London |
| Site Management | Church |
| Dates | medieval; 1672-9; C19th |
| Listed Structures | LBI: St Stephen's Church. LBII: Gatepiers to churchyard on St Stephen's Row |
| 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 |
| Other LA Designation | Strategic View - Consultation Area |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
There may have been a church dedicated to St Swithin here by the C11th with a churchyard by 1285/6. A late C13th heart-burial slab with engraved figure was discovered during excavations, now in the Museum of London. In 1420 a new and larger church was erected, its tower one of the first expressly built for hanging of bells. Destroyed in the Great Fire in 1666, St Swithin's was rebuilt by Wren in 1677-86 but later demolished following WWII bombing. Among those buried here was Catrin Glyndwr, daughter of Welsh hero Owain Glyndwr. She was captured in 1409 and taken with her children and mother to the Tower of London during her father's failed fight for the freedom of Wales. A memorial to Catrin Glyndwr and the suffering of all women and children in war was erected in the former churchyard, which survives as a raised public garden. In 2010 it has undergone re-landscaping as part of major development to the north.
The site may once have been that of an ancient pre-Christian temple, fragments of which were discovered in 1716 when St Mary's was rebuilt. Possibly named after someone called Wulfnoth, although other explanations are that it was so-called to distinguish it from St Mary Woolchurch, a nearby church destroyed in the Great Fire in whose churchyard there was a beam for weighing wool, Woolnoth derived from Wool-nought. The church was rebuilt by Nicholas Hawskmoor in the early C18th. For many years the rector was Revd John Newton, friend of the poet William Cowper, and he was buried in a vault in the church in 1807. The crypt was later used as the booking hall for the new Bank station built alongside the church in 1897. In front of the church entrance is a small semi-circular paved forecourt with some planting and seating, bordered by fine railings.
The Grocers' Company, which had grown out of the Guild of Pepperers recorded in 1180, purchased the house of Lord Fitzwalter in 1427, at that time a much larger site. The Company's first Hall dated from 1428-33 and was rebuilt over the years; it was let to the Bank of England from 1690-1734. The present Hall was built in 1970 after its late C19th predecessor was destroyed in a fire. There was a garden in Victorian times, although it was reduced in size when the Bank was extended and Prince's Street realigned in 1798-1805, and encroached further when the Midland Bank was extended in the 1920s. What remains of the garden is a triangular courtyard with a small amount of planting along one side; a statue of St Anthony of Vienne is by the main entrance, formerly in the Hall of 1889.
