St Michael’s Church

Can you imagine what it was like here in the years before the Great Fire of London? St Michael’s Church is a beautiful, but ancient place of worship with an impressive history. This church actually stands upon the ruins of a Roman basilica, which is thought to have been built in the first century AD. This grand structure was a part of the great Forum, a bustling center of Roman life. Its ruins still lie beneath St Michael’s. If you look carefully, you can see subtle traces of that past hidden within the newer structure.
And that is not the only historical tidbit this church holds! It is recorded that in 1055, King Lucius gifted the church to the abbot of Evesham. For centuries afterward, St Michael’s served as a place of faith and worship for the local community. Some notable figures are said to have been buried here too, including Robert Fabyan, a historical writer, and Robert Yaxley, the physician to King Henry VIII. Imagine the stories whispered through the stone walls of this church! In 1666, the Great Fire, a devastating blaze that tore through London, destroyed the church, leaving only the tower still standing. But the church was rebuilt, with a beautiful neo-Gothic tower, designed by Christopher Wren between 1669 and 1672.
It was later renovated in the 1850s by Sir George Gilbert Scott, who added the elaborate timbered porch that graces the front of the church. This porch was a symbol of a new chapter for St Michael’s. While it was rebuilt, it was not just a church, it was a focal point for the community. It’s a fascinating, dynamic place with stories about ordinary lives as well as the great figures that walked through its doors. It stands as a testament to London’s resilience and its enduring belief in faith.