Once gutted by firebombs, St Bride’s Church has risen from the ashes. This remarkable church stands in London’s Fleet Street. It is steeped in history.
St Bride’s history stretches back to Roman times when Londinium was established. A succession of churches has stood here for over 1,000 years. Legend says that St Bridget founded the first church in the 6th century. Whether she did or not, its remnants resemble a church from the same era in Kildare, Ireland.
The present St Bride’s is at least the seventh church on this site. The Norman church held both religious and secular importance. King John even held a parliament here in 1210. This church was replaced by a larger one in the 15th century. Samuel Pepys was christened here in 1633.
St Bride’s link to journalism began around 1500. Wynkyn de Worde set up a printing press next door. Until 1695, London was the only English city where printing was allowed.
In the late 1580s, Eleanor White married Ananias Dare here at St Bride’s. She was the daughter of artist John White. Their daughter, Virginia Dare, was the first English child born in North America. A modern bust of Virginia Dare stands near the font.
Disaster struck St Bride’s in the mid-17th century. The Great Plague killed 238 parishioners in a single week in 1665. The Great Fire of London destroyed the church in 1666.
After the fire, Sir Christopher Wren designed a new St Bride’s. It was one of his largest and most expensive projects. The church reopened on December 19, 1675. Its famous spire was added later between 1701 and 1703. Originally, it was 234 feet tall. Lightning struck it in 1764 reducing its height by eight feet.
Robert Levet is buried here at St Bride’s. He was a Yorkshireman who became a Parisian waiter. He then became a “practicer of physick.” Samuel Johnson wrote his poem “On the Death of Mr. Robert Levet” about him. Thomas Weelkes, Richard Lovelace and Samuel Richardson are also buried at St Bride’s.
The tiered wedding cake may have originated here. In 1703, Thomas Rich, a baker’s apprentice, wanted to create an extravagant cake. He drew inspiration from St Bride’s Church’s design.
On December 29, 1940, firebombs gutted St Bride’s during the Blitz. About 1,500 fires started that night. It was dubbed the Second Great Fire of London. After the war, newspaper owners and journalists funded St Bride’s rebuilding.
One positive result of the bombing was the excavation of the original 6th-century Saxon foundations. Today, the crypt is the Museum of Fleet Street. It contains Roman coins and medieval stained glass. Excavations also found nearly 230 lead coffins. These held the bones of parishioners from the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries.
Today, St Bride’s Church has a famous Journalists’ Altar. It remembers journalists who died, especially those who died during their work. The church and churchyard offer calm amid Fleet Street’s bustle. It is open to visitors six days a week.
St Bride’s stands 69 meters high. It is the second tallest of Wren’s churches. Only St Paul’s Cathedral has a higher pinnacle. The nearest tube stations are St Paul’s and Blackfriars.