St Helen Bishopsgate is a well-preserved 13th-century Benedictine church, standing out among the baroque churches of the City of London. Its history dates back to the 12th century when the original parish church was built. Between 1204 and 1216, a Benedictine nunnery was added to the north, creating a unique dual structure. The nuns’ choir, or North Nave, ran parallel to the parish church, resulting in a distinctive double-nave layout, which remains mostly unchanged. The church also received some beautiful architectural details in the early 17th century.
The story of the church saint is particularly intriguing. In 1285, King Edward I elevated its status by gifting a relic of the True Cross, connecting it with the legend of St Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, who is said to have discovered the cross on which Jesus was crucified. A medieval alternative narrative, popular in 13th-century England, claimed St Helena had British or Welsh origins, despite historical evidence placing her in the Roman Empire. This reflects a broader medieval trend of localising saintly legends for regional relevance.
St Helen’s holds an impressive collection of monuments, including those moved from other churches like St Martin Outwich, which was demolished in 1874. One of the most significant is the alabaster tomb of John and Mary de Oteswich, dating to the late 14th or early 15th century. It features detailed carvings of symbolic animals—a lion for John and pig-like dogs for Mary. The church also contains Elizabethan kneeler monuments depicting the deceased in prayer.
Although the priory was dissolved, St Helen’s retained much of its medieval character. It survived the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the Blitz in World War II with minor damage but was affected by two IRA bombings in the 1990s.
