St Lawrence Jewry

About St Lawrence Jewry

Church in City of London, UK

St Lawrence Jewry is a historic Anglican church in the heart of the City of London, the capital's ancient financial district. It stands on Gresham Street right beside Guildhall, the seat of the City's government since the Middle Ages, which is why its full name is St Lawrence Jewry next Guildhall. 'Jewry' recalls the medieval Jewish quarter that stood here before the expulsion of 1290. The medieval church burned in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and was rebuilt to designs by Sir Christopher Wren, architect of St Paul's Cathedral and dozens of City churches. Gutted again by bombing in 1940, it was restored in the 1950s in Wren's spirit. Today it is the official church of the Lord Mayor and the City of London Corporation, and hosts the civic services held each year before the election of a new Lord Mayor. For Muslim visitors it is a brief stop on a City walk linking Guildhall and its art gallery, St Paul's Cathedral and the Bank of England: an elegant example of Wren's classical architecture, seen from outside and, away from service times, inside.

Where:

London, United Kingdom