Authored by Content Cookie in Europe
Published on 05-27-2009

London, the capital city of the United Kingdom, is a city with a rich religious culture and great historic importance. Due to its religious attractions it has always been one of the most favored tourist destinations for people from all over the world. Let us explore a few of the famous churches in London.

Most of the churches found in London now are modern. London lost more than 100 churches during the Great Fire incident. This terrible incident caused a huge loss. Many important buildings and historic monuments were lost. This incident took place in 1666, so most of the churches we find today were built in the 18th century. However there still are many famous churches which have survived the devastation. The majority of the churches built before the destruction were by Sir Christopher Wren. The churches built later were the work of various artists including Robert Hooke.

1. Westminster Abbey: This is one of the oldest churches in London constructed by Edward. This is very famous as a huge number of famous personalities are buried here. A few people who are buried here are Elizabeth I, Charles II, Henry III, the former British Prime Ministers William Pitt the younger, Pitt the elder, the famous poet Tennyson etc. The funeral for the Diana, the Princess of Wales, was also held here.
2. Southwark Cathedral: This is the oldest monument in Southwark built in 860 AD by St. Swithun. It was called St. Mary Overie during the 12th century. Edmund, an actor and brother of William Shakespeare, is buried in this church. It also has Shakespeare’s statue. There are two Norman arches which were fortunately safe even after the huge fire in London.
3. St Magnus the Martyr Church: This church is located beside the London Bridge and it was attached with the Old London Bridge. We can still find a few remains of the old London Bridge here. This was a very special location in the past. This church was built once again in 1676 by Wren as the original church was destroyed in the fire. The church built now is also equally beautiful and attractive like the original church. It is always crowded with tourists.
4. St Paul’s Cathedral: This was originally built in 604 AD. The present church was built in 1675. After St Peter’s in Rome, which is the largest cathedral, this is the second largest. The great fire destroyed the whole church. It was then re-built and is much bigger than the original. The great architect who designed this church, Sir Christopher, is buried here. Prince Charles and Diana were married here. We also have a few famous personalities buried here like the Duke of Wellington and Lord Nelson. This is considered one of the most beautifully constructed and well designed churches in London.

These are just a few famous historic churches in London. There are still many more churches to visit like the Templar’s Church, St Bride at Fleet Street, St. Bartholomew’s Church, St. Giles Cripple Gate etc. The city of London carries a great and respected history. All these churches speak of the golden past that London City had.