Description
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.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | St Swithin's Oxford Court; St Swithin's Church; St Swithin London Stone |
|---|---|
| Site location | Oxford Court/Cannon Street/Salters' Hall Court |
| Postcode | EC4N 8AL |
| What3Words | ///headed.insect.stores |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | City of London |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Cannon Street (District, Circle) |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
There was a St Swithin's Church on this site from an early date, possibly by C11th and a churchyard by 1285/6. In 1420 a new and larger church with steeple was erected, largely at the expense of Sir John Hind or Heende, Lord Mayor in 1391 and 1404. The tower was one of the first expressly built for hanging of bells. A late C13th heart-burial slab with engraved figure was discovered during excavations here, now in the Museum of London. Destroyed in the Great Fire, St Swithin's Church was rebuilt by Wren in 1677-86 at which time the parish united with that of St Mary Bothaw some stone of which was used to rebuild St Swithin's. Wren's church was demolished after it had been bombed in World War II, and its churchyard survives as a raised garden. Among the monuments in the church was a monument to Michael Godfrey (d.1695), one of the founders of the Bank of England. St Swithin's was the burial ground of Catrin Glyndwr, daughter of Welsh hero, Owain Glyndwr, and her two children. She was captured in 1409 and taken wither her children and mother to the Tower of London during Owain's fight for the freedom of Wales. By 1413 his uprising had failed and by December of that year Catrin and two of her children were dead and their burial at St Swithin's is recorded in Exchequer documents. A memorial sculpture in the garden is dedicated to both Catrin Glyndwr and to the suffering of all women and children in war.
Patronage of the church was at one time vested in the Salters Company and Salters' Hall Court recalls the Company's Hall, which was situated to the north on St Swithin's Lane from 1641 to 1941, on whose site St Swithin's House is now situated. At one time the church was known as St Swithin, London Stone referring to the location of the famous London Stone outside the south wall of the church. It was placed here in 1742 and built into the south wall of the church in 1798, and it was known to have been a landmark in c.1100 and is possibly of Roman origin. It is now found on the south front of No. 111 Cannon Street, the 1960s building that occupies the site of the bombed church, which was sold in 1960. In 2010 the garden has undergone re-landscaping as part of major development to the north.
Patronage of the church was at one time vested in the Salters Company and Salters' Hall Court recalls the Company's Hall, which was situated to the north on St Swithin's Lane from 1641 to 1941, on whose site St Swithin's House is now situated. At one time the church was known as St Swithin, London Stone referring to the location of the famous London Stone outside the south wall of the church. It was placed here in 1742 and built into the south wall of the church in 1798, and it was known to have been a landmark in c.1100 and is possibly of Roman origin. It is now found on the south front of No. 111 Cannon Street, the 1960s building that occupies the site of the bombed church, which was sold in 1960. In 2010 the garden has undergone re-landscaping as part of major development to the north.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ326809 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.0233 |
| Site Ownership | City of London Corporation |
| Site Management | Open Spaces Dept. |
| Dates | medieval; 1677-87; 1960s |
| Listed Structures | LBII*: London Stone (111 Cannon Street) |
| 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 Viewing Corridor |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
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.
The Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers dates from the C14th and bought the site here in 1476. The present Tallow Chandlers' Hall was built in 1671-3 after an earlier building was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. It has a small courtyard garden reached through ornamental iron gates on Dowgate Hill. A small external garden was created in 1978 on the corner of Dowgate Hill and Cannon Street by Past Master and Mrs Deverell Stone in memory of their son Mark.
The Worshipful Company of Skinners were furriers whose first Charter was given in 1327. The site of Skinner's Hall in this location dates from 1409, although rebuilt after the Great Fire and with subsequent alterations. Entered through the Company's fine ceremonial gates on Dowgate Hill, the small Inner Courtyard was originally used for the formation of guild processions. The east elevation of the Banqueting or Great Hall, dating from 1670, faces onto the courtyard, its entrance flanked by embellished pilasters with carved rabbits, whose fur was used by the lower orders in medieval society. The paved courtyard has two C18th water containers planted with flowers, and the stone cloister was added between 1902-16. In 1984-6 a Roof Garden was created above new kitchens, and this is paved, with a fountain, planters and statuary. In addition a terrace at the rear of the Hall also provides outside space.
