St Benet Paul’s Wharf, Queen Victoria Street, City of London, EC4V 4ER
St Benet Paul’s Wharf, located in the City of London, traces its origins to 1111, when a church dedicated to St Benet, the Italian monk Benedetto da Norcia (480-547), was established. Over time, the church became known as St Benet’s Paul’s Wharf, named after the nearby hythe. The original structure and adjacent Baynard’s Castle were destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.
The current structure was rebuilt under the direction of Christopher Wren (1632-1723), Robert Hooke (1635-1703), and Edward Strong the Elder (1652-1724), and was completed in 1683. The church’s exterior features red bricks and Portland stone dressings, providing structural integrity and a striking visual contrast not typical of 17th-century Baroque churches. Inside, the almost square layout and flat ceiling, also very austere and unusual for a Wren church, create an elegant, rather Protestant appearance.
The galleries, supported by Corinthian columns, add classical grandeur. Most of the original 17th-century furnishings remain intact, including the altar table, reredos, and pulpit designed by Grinling Gibbons (1648-1721). The baptismal font also dates from this period.
St Benet’s is unique among the few Wren’s churches in the City of London that survived the bombings of World War II. It narrowly escaped demolition in the 1870s and was preserved as a Welsh Anglican Church in 1879. This tradition continues today, with services conducted in Welsh. For the more than 300,000 Welsh-speaking people living in London, it is one of only three places in Greater London offering regular services in Welsh.
In 1971, a vagrant’s arson attack damaged the north side of the church. The replacement lighting fixtures from the 1970s create a rather uncomfortable contrast with the well-preserved Baroque settings. This juxtaposition reflects the church’s survival through historical conflicts and its vulnerability to damage in recent peaceful times.
