St Anne's Limehouse
Encyclopedia
St Anne's Limehouse is a Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor was a British architect born in Nottinghamshire, probably in East Drayton.-Life:Hawksmoor was born in Nottinghamshire in 1661, into a yeoman farming family, almost certainly in East Drayton, Nottinghamshire. On his death he was to leave property at nearby Ragnall, Dunham and a...

 Anglican Church in Limehouse
Limehouse
Limehouse is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is on the northern bank of the River Thames opposite Rotherhithe and between Ratcliff to the west and Millwall to the east....

, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...

. It was consecrated in 1730, one of the twelve churches built through the 1711 Act of Parliament
Commission for Building Fifty New Churches
The Commission for Building Fifty New Churches was an organisation set up by Act of Parliament in England in 1711, with the purpose of building fifty new churches for the rapidly growing conurbation of London...

.

History

The church was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor
Nicholas Hawksmoor was a British architect born in Nottinghamshire, probably in East Drayton.-Life:Hawksmoor was born in Nottinghamshire in 1661, into a yeoman farming family, almost certainly in East Drayton, Nottinghamshire. On his death he was to leave property at nearby Ragnall, Dunham and a...

, as one of twelve churches built to serve the needs of the rapidly expanding population of London in the 18th century. The scheme never met its original target, but those built were also known as the Queen Anne Churches. This church was consecrated in 1730.

The church was gutted by fire on Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...

 1850, and restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...

 between 1851 and 1854 by Philip Hardwick
Philip Hardwick
Philip Hardwick was an eminent English architect, particularly associated with railway stations and warehouses in London and elsewhere...

. It was further restored by Julian Harrap between 1983 and 1993, when tubular steel trusses were added to support the roof. There is a link to Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...

 time at the top of the tower: a weight falls when a signal comes from Greenwich (line of sight). The church was Grade A listed in 1950. St Anne's has undergone extensive restoration during 2007 and 2008 - the organ has been completely restored and work on the altar and floor area will be completed in early 2009.

The pipe organ in St Anne's won first prize in the Great Exhibition of 1851 at Crystal Palace, and is much prized by musicians. In 2009, the church became the main rehearsal venue for the recently formed Docklands Sinfonia
Docklands Sinfonia
Docklands Sinfonia is a non-professional symphony orchestra in London's Docklands. Since January 2009, the orchestra has been based at St Anne's Limehouse near Canary Wharf.- History :...

, and occasionally hosts classical concerts. Today, the church remains the parish church of Limehouse, and is within the Diocese of London.
A distinctive pyramid, originally planned to be put atop the tower, now stands in the graveyard, with a cruciform 1918 war memorial of white stone and bronze. They are separately Grade II listed. Limehouse Police Station is nearby. The church is next door to Limehouse Town Hall
Limehouse Town Hall
Limehouse Town Hall is a former town hall building on Commercial Road, in Limehouse, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.-History:Limehouse Town Hall was built in 1879, designed by A. & C. Harston, as the vestry hall of the Limehouse District. The building consists of a number of offices, below...

 and close to Limehouse Library
Limehouse Library
Limehouse Public Library in Limehouse, London was first proposed for construction in 1888, but the required finances could not be raised until 1900 when J Passmore Edwards was approached for assistance. He subscribed a sum of £5000, and he subsequently laid the foundation stone on October 19 of...

, both Grade II listed buildings, the former now used as a community centre. Across the road is the former Sailors' Mission, where Situationist International held its conference in 1960.

The nearest Docklands Light Railway station is Westferry
Westferry DLR station
Westferry DLR station is a station on the Docklands Light Railway , in the Limehouse district of east London. The station is located in Travelcard Zone 2...

.

External links

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