Church Of St Mary Le Bow

CHEAPSIDE EC2 1. 5002 (South Side) Church of St Mary-le-Bow (Formerly listed as Remains of Church of St Mary-le-Bow) TQ 3281 SW 9/243 4.1.50.

I

1. 1670-83 by Wren. Crypt C12. Interior destroyed in World War II and reconstructed in near facsimile. Square body of churoch has arcades of 3 bays separating wide central aisle from very narrow aisles at either side. Exterior faced in red brick with dressings of Portland stone. East and west elevations have pedimented or gabled centres with 3 arched windows, flanked by narrower windows with circular openings above. Pedimented west door. The central south door is disused and there is an arched window to either side of it. The interior has a plaster vault supported by an order of engaged Corinthian columns. Clerestorey lighting. No old fittings. Large, plain, groin-vaulted lobby joins church to tower fronting Cheapside. One of Wren's largest and finest designs, this has an open ground storey and above a balconied window to the street is a bracketed clock. The pilastered belfry stage supports a balustrade with scrolled finials at the corners and a steeple with 2 orders of columns, the upper order renewed in granite in the C19. To the north of the church is a vestry and beneath this and the main building is a good but altered C12 crypt.

Listing NGR: TQ3238681139