St Michael, Cornhill
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| St. Michael, Cornhill | |
|---|---|
 View of church from St. Michael's Alley
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| Information | |
| Denomination | Church of England, earlier Roman Catholic |
| Contact particulars | |
| Address | City of London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
St Michael, Cornhill is a medieval parish church in the City of London with pre-Norman Conquest parochial foundation. The medieval structure was lost in the Great Fire of London and the current church was designed by Sir Christopher Wren between 1670-1677. The oblong church is 80 by 60 feet. The church has one of the oldest sets of churchwarden's records in the City of London, which are now kept in the Guildhall Library.
Wren's tower was replaced in 1715 with a pinnacled structure (completed in 1722), officially by Wren (who was 90 at the time) but the design bears a strong resemblance to the work of Wren's apprentice Nicholas Hawksmoor[1], who would create similar towers on Westminster Abbey's West End.
The Gothic-styled porch (1858-1860) facing Cornhill is a Victorian addition by Sir George Gilbert Scott. Just as this Gothic addition with its Venetian tracery windows was inappropriate, so too was Scott's restoration, which repainted the interior, disposed of the old furnishings, installed a new reredos, pulpit, pew ends, and inserted stained glass by Clayton and Bell. Few original elements of the church were retained from its Victorian re-imagining but the 1672 font given by James Paul did survive, although a new balustrade was added.
[edit] Notable Parishoners
- James Paul
- William Boyce, composer and organist of the church for 32 years
- Dr. Harold Darke, organist of the church from 1916-1966
- Obadiah Shuttleworth, composer and organist of the church until his death in 1734
[edit] Notes
- ^ "London:the City Churches” Pevsner,N/Bradley,S New Haven, Yale, 1998 ISBN 0300096550
 Nestling behind |
 Boxed in on all sides |
 A beautiful interior |
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