“Lost foot. Finders keepers?”, Rahere might have joked, were he alive today. We are standing before St Bartholomew the Great, London’s oldest parish church. Its history is palpable.
The church and St Bartholomew’s Hospital were founded in 1123. They began as an Augustinian Priory. It once extended to the Tudor gatehouse. The gatehouse dates from around 1595. It sits on top of a 13th-century archway. This archway was once the southern entrance to the nave. Much of the priory was destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII.
The gatehouse facade was covered in the 18th century. A World War One zeppelin bomb revealed the Tudor delight beneath.
Notice the unusual architecture. Construction began in the Romanesque style. The Normans brought it here. It features rounded arches and chunky columns. But the Gothic style became popular during the build. The parish was poor and couldn’t afford to restart. So, the southern end was finished in the Gothic style.
The Gothic style allowed for thinner columns. Pointed Gothic arches supported more weight. You will spot both pointed and rounded arches.
Look for the tomb of Prior Rahere. His body was moved here in 1405. The tomb was constructed then. Rahere was a courtier to King Henry I. He went on a pilgrimage to Rome. There, he fell ill. He had a vision of St Bartholomew. The saint instructed him to establish a priory and hospital in London. It would happen upon his recovery and return to Britain.
Go around the back of the tomb. The stones at one end are jumbled. During 19th-century restoration work, workers removed stones. They checked which way Rahere faced. They confirmed his head pointed West. This is tradition for priests. But a worker stole Rahere’s foot and sandal. The sandal was recovered. The foot never was. Rahere’s ghost supposedly rises once a year. It happens on July 1st at 7 am. He hobbles about looking for his lost foot.
On the South aisle wall is the memorial to Edward Cooke. He was a philosopher and medicine man. He died in 1652. It was known as the weeping monument. Condensation made the porous bust appear to weep. Victorian heating stopped this. A plaque still mentions the briny floods.
At the back of the church is the Lady Chapel. The Virgin Mary apparently made a visitation here. She appeared to a monk in the late 12th century.
In the early 18th century, the Lady Chapel was used by printers. A young Benjamin Franklin worked here. He was a typesetter. He later signed the American Declaration of Independence.
In the North Transept, some stonework is blackened. An ironmonger’s workshop was based here in the 18th century.
Prior Bolton installed the oriel window in the early 1500s. He allegedly used it to spy on his monks. Notice the symbol of a barrel with a bolt through it. It represents Bolton.
The font dates from 1405. It is one of only two pre-Reformation fonts in London. William Hogarth was baptized here on November 28th, 1697.
The church is a popular filming location. It was used in Four Weddings and a Funeral. The covering behind the table looks like stone. It is a leftover film set.
St Bartholomew’s has amazing modern art. Damien Hirst’s Exquisite Pain stands near the entrance. It depicts St Bartholomew skinned alive. He holds his skin and the tool used.
The south triforium overlooks the central part of the church. It is not open to the public. It stores stonework. Some may date back to the 12th century.
The oldest residential buildings within the City of London are numbers 41 and 42 Cloth Fair. They are located within the current boundaries of the City of London. These buildings are near St. Bartholomew’s.
St Bartholomew the Great offers a unique touch of London’s history. It has survived the Great Fire and the Blitz. It is a testament to time. It blends architectural styles and intriguing stories. It is a place where the past whispers. It is a place where art captivates. It is a place where history comes alive.