Lost to time but not forgotten stands St Swithun’s Church. Today nothing remains but a garden. Once this site held a medieval church dedicated to St Swithin. He was a 9th-century bishop of Winchester.
St Swithin’s story begins in the 13th century. It was initially known as St Swithin in Candlewick Street. Candlewick Street is now Cannon Street. By 1597 it was called St Swithin at London Stone. This became its official name. London Stone stood opposite the church.
Let me tell you about Catrin Glyndwr. She was the wife of rebel Edmund Mortimer. Catrin was also the daughter of Owain Glyndwr. He was a Welsh leader. Catrin died in the Tower of London. She was buried within St Swithin’s Church.
In 1420 St Swithun’s needed to be rebuilt. Sir John Hind paid for it. Renovations occurred in the early 1600s. Shortly before the Great Fire another renovation cost over 1000 pounds.
The church’s patronage first belonged to Tortington Priory. Later Henry VIII granted it to John Earl of Oxford. Eventually the Salters Company bought it.
Disaster struck during the Great Fire of London in 1666. St Swithun’s was destroyed. Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt it by 1678. The cost was over 4687 pounds. The parish combined with St Mary Bothaw. St Mary Bothaw was also destroyed but not rebuilt. The new St Swithun’s measured 61 feet long and 42 feet wide.
The rebuilt St Swithun’s featured a tower and spire. These rose from the northwest corner. The total height reached about 150 feet. The south east and west fronts each had three windows. An elliptical pediment sat over the central window. The south front facing Cannon Street had decorations. These included a carved wreath and festoons.
Inside St Swithun’s the space was rectangular. The tower occupied the northwest corner. An aisle ran along the north side. An octagonal dome covered most of the church. It sprang from half-columns and one complete column.
In 1742 London Stone moved to the church door. It had been on the street’s south side. By the 1820s it was in an alcove in the church’s south wall. It stayed there until 1962.
Around 1820 Henry Elmes supervised repairs. Further repairs and changes happened in 1869. Pews faced east. Galleries were removed. The pulpit lowered. A chandelier was taken down. In 1879 the chancel was remodeled. A vestry was built under the north gallery.
During World War II in 1940 St Swithun’s suffered heavy damage. An air raid devastated it. Only the pulpit was saved. It is now at All Hallows by the Tower. The parish united with St Stephen Walbrook in 1954. The site was sold in 1960. Demolition occurred in 1961 and 1962.
Excavations revealed Roman and medieval remains. These included a Roman street and timber buildings. Foundations of the 15th-century church were found. A medieval grave slab was also discovered. It commemorated Joanna wife of Fulke de St Edmond. He was a sheriff of London.
Today London Stone is in a new building at 111 Cannon Street. The churchyard remains a public garden. It was re-landscaped in 2010. A memorial honors Catrin Glyndwr. It also commemorates women and children suffering in war. A church mark is in nearby Salters Hall Court.
So while St Swithun’s Church is gone its history lives on. The garden provides a quiet space for reflection. Remember the stories of those who came before us.