Whilst London itself may seem like a pretty flat city to many, the world famous landmark that is St Paul’s Cathedral actually sits atop one of the highest points in the city.
You may think that like most cathedrals, St Paul’s is really old, and whilst that may be true, did you know that it is actually not the first cathedral to be on that site? The first church, on Ludgate Hill, was built in 604AD. Dedicated to Paul the apostle and made of wood, the relatively flimsy construction by today's standards, was fragile and damaged on a number of occasions. Destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 685AD, it then became a target to the Vikings in the mid 900’s, as they invaded the country.
Following various damage, construction of the fourth St Paul’s actually took over 150 years and was eventually completed in 1240. This structure fell into a state of disrepair in the years that passed, becoming grubby, uncared for and was even struck by lightning in 1561. The Great Fire of London, in 1666, caused considerable damage to the structure and eventually resulted in the decision to be taken that a whole new church should be built.
After the fire, it was the great Sir Christopher Wren who designed the St Paul’s we know and love today. It is also Wren that became known as one of the most famous architects in the country and is beloved today by many a Londoner. Sir Christoher was also one of the first people to be buried in the cathedral, 13 years after its completion, upon his death in 1723. Since then, other famous figures including Winston Churchill and Florence Nightingale have also been buried at the cathedral.
When Wren’s rebuild was completed in 1710, St Paul’s was the tallest building in the whole city for over 250 years. The famous dome was one of the tallest in the world and remains so, even today, at an impressive 111m high.
Many people can recall the infamous attempt by Guy Fawkes to blow up the Houses of Parliament, but fewer know that there was actually an attempt to do the same to St Paul’s Cathedral and it was much more recent. In 1913 there was a Suffragette plot which involved the blowing up of the Bishop’s throne, which was thankfully thwarted and no damage was done.
Caring much more for the building today, than they did all those years ago, towards the end of the 1990s a fifteen-year restoration program began. This saw works carried out on copper and lead elements within the building construction as well as improvements to the slate roofing and much more. Restorations were completed in 2011.
Today, inside the cathedral, you can climb 528 steps to the top of the famous dome. Should you prefer to venture to the famous ‘Whispering Gallery’, this is located 259 steps up and is aptly named because of an eerie quirk where if you whisper against the wall of the dome, it will be heard on the opposite side of the dome.
Whether you ascend to the great heights of St Paul's, or prefer to view things from the comfort of the ground, you have to make sure the famous cathedral is on your list of things to see in London.
You may think that like most cathedrals, St Paul’s is really old, and whilst that may be true, did you know that it is actually not the first cathedral to be on that site? The first church, on Ludgate Hill, was built in 604AD. Dedicated to Paul the apostle and made of wood, the relatively flimsy construction by today's standards, was fragile and damaged on a number of occasions. Destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 685AD, it then became a target to the Vikings in the mid 900’s, as they invaded the country.
Following various damage, construction of the fourth St Paul’s actually took over 150 years and was eventually completed in 1240. This structure fell into a state of disrepair in the years that passed, becoming grubby, uncared for and was even struck by lightning in 1561. The Great Fire of London, in 1666, caused considerable damage to the structure and eventually resulted in the decision to be taken that a whole new church should be built.
After the fire, it was the great Sir Christopher Wren who designed the St Paul’s we know and love today. It is also Wren that became known as one of the most famous architects in the country and is beloved today by many a Londoner. Sir Christoher was also one of the first people to be buried in the cathedral, 13 years after its completion, upon his death in 1723. Since then, other famous figures including Winston Churchill and Florence Nightingale have also been buried at the cathedral.
When Wren’s rebuild was completed in 1710, St Paul’s was the tallest building in the whole city for over 250 years. The famous dome was one of the tallest in the world and remains so, even today, at an impressive 111m high.
Many people can recall the infamous attempt by Guy Fawkes to blow up the Houses of Parliament, but fewer know that there was actually an attempt to do the same to St Paul’s Cathedral and it was much more recent. In 1913 there was a Suffragette plot which involved the blowing up of the Bishop’s throne, which was thankfully thwarted and no damage was done.
Caring much more for the building today, than they did all those years ago, towards the end of the 1990s a fifteen-year restoration program began. This saw works carried out on copper and lead elements within the building construction as well as improvements to the slate roofing and much more. Restorations were completed in 2011.
Today, inside the cathedral, you can climb 528 steps to the top of the famous dome. Should you prefer to venture to the famous ‘Whispering Gallery’, this is located 259 steps up and is aptly named because of an eerie quirk where if you whisper against the wall of the dome, it will be heard on the opposite side of the dome.
Whether you ascend to the great heights of St Paul's, or prefer to view things from the comfort of the ground, you have to make sure the famous cathedral is on your list of things to see in London.
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