Complete City of London Churches Walking Route
Overview
This walking route covers all churches within the City of London (the Square Mile). The route is approximately 8-10 miles and will take 6-8 hours at a leisurely pace, including time for brief visits. Consider breaking this into sections over multiple days.
Total Churches: 39 active churches + several ruins/sites
Estimated Duration: 6-8 hours
Difficulty: Easy (mostly flat, paved streets)
Route Instructions
Section 1: Eastern Start (Tower Hill to Aldgate)
Start: Tower Hill Station
- All Hallows by the Tower (Byward Street)
- Saxon foundation, survived Great Fire
- Contains Roman tessellated pavement
- 5 minutes from Tower Hill Station
- St. Olave Hart Street (Hart Street)
- Medieval church, Pepys' church
- Survived Great Fire and Blitz
- 5 minutes north
- St. Dunstan-in-the-East (St. Dunstan's Hill)
- Wren tower, church bombed in WWII
- Now a public garden with ruins
- 7 minutes northwest
- St. Magnus the Martyr (Lower Thames Street)
- Wren church (1676-1687)
- Mentioned in T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land"
- 5 minutes west
Section 2: Central Eastern Area
- St. Margaret Pattens (Rood Lane)
- Wren church with original spire
- Fine Georgian interior
- 8 minutes north
- St. Andrew Undershaft (St. Mary Axe)
- Medieval church, survived Great Fire
- John Stow monument
- 6 minutes northeast
- St. Katharine Cree (Leadenhall Street)
- Pre-Fire church (1631)
- Mixture of Gothic and Classical styles
- 3 minutes east
- St. Botolph Aldgate (Aldgate High Street)
- Georgian rebuilding of medieval church
- "Church of the Holy Ghost"
- 5 minutes southeast
Section 3: Northern Circuit
- St. Botolph Bishopsgate (Bishopsgate)
- Georgian church, medieval origins
- Beautiful interior
- 8 minutes northwest
- St. Ethelburga (Bishopsgate)
- Medieval church, survived Great Fire
- Rebuilt after IRA bombing (1993)
- Center for Reconciliation and Peace
- 2 minutes south
- St. Helen Bishopsgate (Great St. Helen's)
- "Westminster Abbey of the City"
- Medieval nunnery church
- 4 minutes west
- St. Peter-upon-Cornhill (Gracechurch Street)
- Wren church, claims oldest Christian site in London
- Unique organ case
- 5 minutes southwest
Section 4: Central North
- St. Michael Cornhill (Cornhill)
- Wren church with Hawksmoor tower
- Fine interior woodwork
- 3 minutes west
- St. Bartholomew-by-the-Exchange (site at Bank Junction)
- Wren church, demolished 1840
- Site marked near Bank Station
- 2 minutes southwest
- St. Christopher-le-Stocks (site at Bank of England)
- Wren church, demolished for Bank expansion
- Site within Bank of England
- Adjacent to previous
Section 5: Cheapside Area
- St. Mary-le-Bow (Cheapside)
- Famous Wren church with "Bow Bells"
- Cockney tradition
- 5 minutes west
- St. Mary Aldermary (Queen Victoria Street)
- Wren's Gothic Revival church
- Unique among Wren churches
- 3 minutes south
- St. Thomas of Acon (site at Cheapside)
- Medieval church site
- Now Mercers' Hall courtyard
- 3 minutes north
- St. Pancras Soper Lane (Queen Street)
- Wren church, now demolished
- Site near modern buildings
- 4 minutes southeast
Section 6: Western Central
- St. Lawrence Jewry (Guildhall Yard)
- Wren church, official church of the City
- Beautiful interior, Commonwealth connections
- 5 minutes north
- St. Alban Wood Street (Wood Street)
- Wren tower remains
- Church demolished, tower preserved
- 4 minutes northwest
- St. Olave Silver Street (site at Wood Street)
- Demolished church site
- Near previous location
- 2 minutes north
Section 7: Central London Wall Area
- St. Alphage London Wall (London Wall)
- Medieval origins, rebuilt several times
- Modern church building
- 6 minutes northeast
- St. Giles Cripplegate (Barbican)
- Medieval church in Barbican complex
- John Milton buried here
- 8 minutes north
Section 8: Southern Circuit
- St. Anne and St. Agnes (Gresham Street)
- Wren church, Lutheran use
- Beautiful brick exterior
- 10 minutes southwest
- St. John Zachary (site at Gresham Street)
- Medieval church, demolished
- Site marked
- 2 minutes east
- Christ Church Greyfriars (Newgate Street)
- Wren church, bombed in WWII
- Tower and ruins remain as garden
- 8 minutes south
Section 9: Fleet Street Area
- St. Bartholomew the Great (West Smithfield)
- Norman church, part of medieval priory
- Oldest church building in City
- 8 minutes northwest
- St. Bartholomew the Less (West Smithfield)
- Hospital chapel
- Medieval origins, rebuilt
- 2 minutes south
- St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate (Holborn Viaduct)
- Medieval church, "Old Bailey church"
- Execution bell tradition
- 5 minutes southeast
Section 10: Central Fleet Street
- St. Andrew Holborn (just outside City boundary)
- Wren church
- Skip if staying strictly within City limits
- St. Bride Fleet Street (Fleet Street)
- Wren's tallest spire
- "Cathedral of Fleet Street"
- Journalists' church
- 8 minutes east
Section 11: Temple Area
- Temple Church (Temple)
- Round Norman church
- Knights Templar history
- 5 minutes south
Section 12: Thames-side Western
- St. Benet Paul's Wharf (Queen Victoria Street)
- Wren church, Welsh church
- Inigo Jones possibly buried here
- 8 minutes northeast
- St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe (Queen Victoria Street)
- Wren church, near Great Fire start
- Beautiful interior
- 3 minutes east
- St. Ann Blackfriars (site at Queen Victoria Street)
- Demolished church site
- Near Blackfriars Station
- 5 minutes south
Section 13: St. Paul's Area
- St. Paul's Cathedral (St. Paul's Churchyard)
- Wren's masterpiece
- Major cathedral, allow extra time
- 10 minutes northeast
- St. Augustine Watling Street (Watling Street)
- Wren church
- Beautiful carved reredos
- 3 minutes southeast
- St. Mary Aldermanbury (Aldermanbury)
- Wren church, bombed in WWII
- Moved to Fulton, Missouri
- Garden marks site
- 8 minutes northeast
Section 14: Final Eastern Return
- St. Vedast Foster Lane (Foster Lane)
- Wren church
- Fine interior woodwork
- 5 minutes southeast
- St. Stephen Walbrook (Walbrook)
- Wren's practice run for St. Paul's
- Considered his finest parish church
- 8 minutes southeast
- St. Mary Woolnoth (King William Street)
- Hawksmoor church (not Wren)
- Baroque style
- 5 minutes south
End: Bank Station
Practical Information
Opening Hours
- Most churches: Tuesday-Friday 11am-3pm (varies)
- Many closed Mondays
- Sunday services typically 8am-6pm
- St. Paul's Cathedral: Monday-Saturday 8:30am-4pm
Admission
- Most parish churches: Free
- St. Paul's Cathedral: Admission charge (£25+ adults)
- Temple Church: Small donation requested
What to Bring
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Water bottle
- Camera (photography usually permitted)
- Small notebook for notes
- Portable phone charger
- Light snacks
Alternative Shorter Routes
Half-Day Route (4 hours): Focus on major Wren churches
- St. Paul's Cathedral
- St. Mary-le-Bow
- St. Stephen Walbrook
- St. Lawrence Jewry
- St. Bride Fleet Street
- Temple Church
Medieval Focus (3 hours):
- St. Bartholomew the Great
- All Hallows by the Tower
- St. Olave Hart Street
- St. Helen Bishopsgate
- St. Andrew Undershaft
- Temple Church
Transportation
- Start/End: Multiple Underground stations
- During route: Several bus stops and Underground stations for breaks
- Accessibility: Most streets are accessible, though some churches have steps
Best Time to Visit
- Weekdays: Better access to interiors
- Spring/Autumn: Pleasant walking weather
- Morning start: Avoid afternoon crowds at major sites
Historical Context
The Great Fire of London (1666) destroyed 87 medieval churches. Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt 51 of them between 1670-1710. Many were later demolished in the 19th century due to declining congregations, and others were destroyed or damaged in WWII bombing.
This route represents nearly 1,000 years of London's Christian heritage, from Saxon foundations to modern reconstructions.