With its dome dominating the City skyline for more than three centuries, St Paul's Cathedral is Christopher Wren's masterpiece and one of London's best-loved symbols. It has hosted the funerals of Nelson, Wellington and Churchill, Queen Victoria's jubilee and the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981.
Five cathedrals on the same hill
On Ludgate Hill, the highest point of the City, a church dedicated to St Paul stood as early as 604, founded by Bishop Mellitus. Destroyed several times by fire and rebuilt, by the Middle Ages it had become one of the largest cathedrals in Europe, with a very tall spire. But the medieval cathedral, Old St Paul's, was already in poor condition in the 17th century, and the Great Fire of September 1666, which destroyed much of the city, left it in ruins.
Wren's work
The rebuilding was entrusted to Christopher Wren, an astronomer and mathematician turned architect, who also designed more than fifty City churches. After several designs were rejected by the clergy, who wanted a traditional Latin-cross plan, work began in 1675 and the cathedral was declared complete in 1711. The great dome, about 111 metres high, is actually triple: an inner dome visible from the nave, a hidden brick cone that supports the lantern and an outer lead-clad dome. Wren is buried in the crypt, with a Latin epitaph inviting visitors to look around them to see his monument.
What to see
- The nave and choir, with Victorian mosaics and woodcarving by Grinling Gibbons.
- The Whispering Gallery, inside the dome, after 257 steps: a word whispered against the wall can be heard clearly on the opposite side.
- The Stone Gallery and Golden Gallery, outside, with a 360-degree view of the city; reaching the top means climbing 528 steps in all.
- The crypt, one of the largest in Europe, with the tombs of Nelson, Wellington, Wren and many artists, including Turner.
A symbol of resistance
During the Blitz, on the night of 29 December 1940, incendiary bombs devastated the City, but the cathedral survived thanks to volunteers who put out the devices on the roof. The photograph of the dome rising intact through the smoke became a symbol of British resistance.
Practical information
The nearest station is St Paul's (Central line). Tickets for sightseeing cost more than £25 and include the galleries and the crypt; buying online is cheaper. Services are free: attending Evensong, the evening prayer sung by the choir, is a beautiful experience that costs nothing. From the steps the Millennium Bridge footbridge leads across to Tate Modern. See also what to see in London, history of London and the London guide.