Church Of St Katherine Cree

The Church of St Katherine Cree, located on Leadenhall Street in EC3, was built between 1628 and 1631, with its tower dating from around 1504. This nearly rectangular building features aisles and a clerestory, with the tower positioned at the south-west corner. Its exterior is constructed of squared rubble and Portland stone, showcasing gothic-style 3-light windows with stepped, flat heads. The side aisles have plain parapets, and there is a cornice at the clerestory level.

The south doorway at the base of the tower is arched and flanked by a pair of Ionic columns that support a pediment. The tower itself is simple, featuring round-arched openings, one gothic window on the west side, a plain parapet, and a wooden cupola topped with a Doric colonnade and a lead-covered dome. The east elevation is obscured by adjacent buildings. The south side includes two elaborate rainwater heads and pipes, along with three plainer ones for the clerestory and one each on the west and north sides. A large, square-headed west window is now blocked, but there is an arched and corniced entrance below it with a pair of simple late 18th or early 19th-century iron gates.

Inside, the church features classical arcades supported by Corinthian columns without entablature, which hold up semi-circular arches and a pilastered clerestory. The ribbed plaster vault exhibits a late gothic character. The east window is square-headed with circular glazing. There are original arched openings to the north and east of the tower. A west organ gallery, supported by a Corinthian colonnade, houses a fine late 17th-century organ case. The church also contains a mid-17th-century font and cover, a doorcase dated 1693, and a pulpit of similar date with a simple tester added later. Notable monuments include one to Sir Nicholas Throkmorton from 1570. The aisles are now enclosed by low screens, and there is a vestry located to the north-east.