St. Leonard’s

Gazing up at St. Leonard’s, imagine the echoes of Shakespearean actors mingling with the clang of 18th-century bells. St. Leonard’s, Shoreditch, stands as a testament to centuries of London life, from its possible Anglo-Saxon origins to its starring role in a modern BBC comedy. The church you see today, a grand Palladian structure, was designed by George Dance the Elder and built between 1736 and 1740. Its soaring steeple, a deliberate imitation of St. Mary-le-Bow’s, reaches 192 feet, a beacon visible across Shoreditch. This wasn’t the first church on this site. A medieval St. Leonard’s preceded it, eventually succumbing to age and a collapsing tower in 1716. That earlier church held a special place in theatrical history. Nearby stood The Theatre, England’s first purpose-built playhouse, and the Curtain Theatre. Luminaries like James Burbage, founder of The Theatre, his son Richard, a leading Shakespearean actor, and comedian Richard Tarlton were all laid to rest in St. Leonard’s. A memorial inside commemorates these figures and others, a nod to Shoreditch’s vibrant theatrical past. Even the church bells have a claim to fame, featured in the nursery rhyme “Oranges and Lemons.” Inside St. Leonard’s, original 18th-century fittings survive, from the font and pulpit to the communion table and even bread cupboards. Remarkably, the organ, built by Richard Bridge in 1756, retains all its original wooden pipes, a rare example of a tracker organ without pedals. Interestingly, St. Leonard’s boasts another technological first. In 1817, it became the first church in London to be illuminated by gaslight. So, as you stand before St. Leonard’s, listen closely. You might hear whispers of actors, the chime of bells, or the faint hiss of gaslight, all woven into the fabric of this historic Shoreditch landmark.