Are you planning to visit Saint Helen’s Church in Bishopsgate, London anytime soon? If the answer is yes, then you need to read this article to get to know the place a little bit. We will try to give you some details regarding the church itself and a bit of history as well.
Saint Helen’s Church is a predominantly Anglican parish. It is also known to be conservative and evangelical. It is one of the largest surviving parish churches in London and is known to house gigantic edifices and statues of the religious kind from all over the world, second only to Westminster Abbey.
Because of this, it has been dubbed as the Westminster Abbey of the City.
The Saint Helen’s Church
Historical Significance
It has been the parish church of one of the most famous poets and playwrights of the 21st century: William Shakespeare. He went to this church when he lived in the greater London area in the 1590s.
In addition to this, the most prominent jurist and lawyer by the name of Sir Alberico Gentili born of Italian descent was buried here in 1608.
Among the Oldest Church in London
It is one of the oldest churches in London dating back to the 13th century. It was built as a convent for Benedictine nuns in 1210. It had an unusual design for its time having double naves that were parallel to each other.
This particular design strategy gave it a wider interior. The convent was dissolved and 1538 resulting in the creation of the physical division from east to west serving as a partition between the nuns and the parishioners.
It is the only surviving building in London that was dedicated to the nunnery.
As a convent, it had extensive ministerial buildings of large scale. The halls were later used by the Worshipful Company of Leather Sellers. This endured until the demolition in 1799.
Additionally, a crypt was built under the church halls. It reached the north side of the building itself.
Architecture
It had a predominantly Gothic style in terms of design and sell to classic doors were added in the 17th century. In 1874, Saint Helen’s Parish merged with Saint Martin Outwich because of the latter congregation’s own church burning down.
Conclusion
This particular church definitely has stories to tell when it comes to design and function. It is surely something that would be worth visiting not only for older folks but also for young people alike.
You should give it a look in case you happen to visit London in the coming days. You will surely not regret doing so.