St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe
Encyclopedia
St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe is a Church of England
church located on Queen Victoria Street, London
in the City of London
, near Blackfriars station
.
, an ancient royal residence. In 1361, Edward III
moved his Royal Wardrobe
(a storehouse for Royal accoutrements, housing arms and clothing among other personal items of the Crown) from the Tower of London
to just north of the church. It was from this association that the church acquired its unique name.
The Wardrobe and the church, however, were both lost in the Great Fire of London
in 1666. Of the 51 churches designed by Sir Christopher Wren
after the Great Fire, St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe is among the simplest of his designs; it was rebuilt in 1695.
The church was again destroyed during the London blitz by German bombing
; only the tower and walls survived. It was rebuilt and rededicated in 1961.
who is shown holding the Virgin Mary who in turn holds the Christ child. This statue, which is probably north Italian, dates to around 1500.
St. Andrew's can boast of one of its former parishioners, William Shakespeare
. Shakespeare was a member of this parish
for about fifteen years while he was working at the Blackfriars Theatre
nearby, and later he bought a house within the parish, in Ireland Yard. In his honour, a memorial
was erected in the church.
Regular Sunday services are conducted there by the St. Gregorios congregation of the Indian Orthodox Church
.
The church was designated a Grade I listed building on January 4, 1950.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
church located on Queen Victoria Street, London
Queen Victoria Street, London
Queen Victoria Street, named after the British monarch from 1837 to 1901 is a long street in the City of London which runs east by north from its junction with New Bridge Street in Castle Baynard Ward, along a section that divides those of Queenhithe and Bread Street , then lastly through the...
in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, near Blackfriars station
Blackfriars station
Blackfriars station, also known as London Blackfriars, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the City of London, England. Its platforms will eventually span the River Thames a short distance downstream from Blackfriars Bridge. The current entrance is located on the...
.
History
First mentioned around 1170, St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe was almost certainly founded considerably earlier. During the 13th century the church was a part of Baynard's CastleBaynard's Castle
Baynard's Castle refers to buildings on two neighbouring sites in London, between where Blackfriars station and St Paul's Cathedral now stand. The first was a Norman fortification constructed by Ralph Baynard and demolished by King John in 1213. The second was a medieval palace built a short...
, an ancient royal residence. In 1361, Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
moved his Royal Wardrobe
Royal Wardrobe
The Royal Wardrobe was a building located on what is now Queen Victoria Street in the City of London, near Blackfriars. It was used as a storehouse for royal accoutrements, housing arms and clothing among other personal items of the Crown.-History:The Wardrobe was used to house orphans during the...
(a storehouse for Royal accoutrements, housing arms and clothing among other personal items of the Crown) from the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
to just north of the church. It was from this association that the church acquired its unique name.
The Wardrobe and the church, however, were both lost in the Great Fire of London
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
in 1666. Of the 51 churches designed by Sir Christopher Wren
Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710...
after the Great Fire, St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe is among the simplest of his designs; it was rebuilt in 1695.
The church was again destroyed during the London blitz by German bombing
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
; only the tower and walls survived. It was rebuilt and rededicated in 1961.
Building
St. Andrew's is situated on a terrace overlooking the street, its plain red-brick exterior contrasting with the stone buildings on either side. The interior is aisled, with arcaded bays supported by piers rather than the usual columns. The original interior fittings were mostly destroyed during the war, and many of the church's features were procured from other destroyed London churches. The weathervane on the steeple comes from St Michael Bassishaw (which was demolished in 1900). A replacement pulpit came from the church of St Matthew, Friday Street. The font and cover also came from here. There is a figure of St Andrew, dated around 1600, which stands on the north side of the sanctuary and an unusual figure of St AnnSt Ann
St Ann may refer to:*Saint Ann or Saint Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary*Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica*St. Ann, Missouri-See also:*Church of St. Ann *Saint Anne *St Ann's *St Anne's...
who is shown holding the Virgin Mary who in turn holds the Christ child. This statue, which is probably north Italian, dates to around 1500.
St. Andrew's can boast of one of its former parishioners, William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
. Shakespeare was a member of this parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
for about fifteen years while he was working at the Blackfriars Theatre
Blackfriars Theatre
Blackfriars Theatre was the name of a theatre in the Blackfriars district of the City of London during the Renaissance. The theatre began as a venue for child actors associated with the Queen's chapel choirs; in this function, the theatre hosted some of the most innovative drama of Elizabeth and...
nearby, and later he bought a house within the parish, in Ireland Yard. In his honour, a memorial
Memorial
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....
was erected in the church.
Regular Sunday services are conducted there by the St. Gregorios congregation of the Indian Orthodox Church
Indian Orthodox Church
The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, also known as the Indian Orthodox Church, is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church centred in the Indian state of Kerala. It is one of the churches of India's Saint Thomas Christian community, which traces its origins to the evangelical activity of Thomas...
.
The church was designated a Grade I listed building on January 4, 1950.
See also
- List of churches and cathedrals of London
- List of Christopher Wren churches in London
External links
- Church Website
- Location map (Multimap.com)