Church Of St Paul Church Of St Paul Covent Garden

The Church of St Paul in Covent Garden is a parish church built between 1631 and 1638 by the architect Inigo Jones. It suffered damage from a fire in 1795 and was restored by Thomas Hardwick. In the 1870s, alterations were made by Henry Clutton, which included brick facings. The church is constructed of red brick and stone, topped with a slate roof, and is often referred to as "the handsomest barn in England."

The building features a plain rectangular hall without internal divisions. A monumental east portico faces the Piazza, characterized by deeply overhanging bracketed eaves on the pedimental gable end. This portico is supported by two square outer piers and two inner giant Tuscan columns that exhibit marked entasis. It includes a large architraved false doorway with a cornice on consoles, although the original plan included a west altar.

The side elevations are adorned with architraved round-headed windows. The west front is faced with brick and includes a central doorway flanked by vestry wings, topped with a deep-eaved gable. Inside, there is a Doric columned west organ gallery and a ceiling featuring large, richly ornamented panels. The altar is flanked by colonnades, with columns that were originally part of side galleries removed by Butterfield in 1872. The church also contains a finely carved early 19th-century pulpit among other notable features.