#rahere

St Bartholomew the Great

Founded in 1123 by the monk Rahere as gratitude for his recovery from fever, the church of St Bartholomew the Great is a rare (mostly) medieval structure in the City of London. It has survived the Dissolution of the monasteries, multiple fires in the City, 18th Century squatters, Zeppelin bombing, and the Blitz. There was even a time when parts of the church were used as commercial properties, including a year when Benjamin Franklin worked in the eastern chapel as a printer.

Against all odds then it would seem, St Bartholomew the Great (so called to distinguish it from the nearby smaller church of St Bartholomew the Less) stills stands. A visit outside of worshipping hours will, surprisingly for an Anglican parish church, cost a few pounds, but it does to towards the upkeep of the unique features of the building. The oldest, dating from the Norman period, are the crossing and the choir, which have huge decorative arches and pillars. Tucked inside one arch is the tomb of Rahere, whilst one of those on the upper level was converted into an oriel window from the prior Bolton – it is decorated with Bolton’s rebus depicting a barrel (tun) pierced by an arrow (bolt).

The Norman construction dampens both the sound and light throughout the rest of the church, leaving it in an almost perpetual twilight. Artworks, monuments and architectural features both old and new are dimly illuminated in the aisles. These include one of only two pre-reformation church fonts in London, the sometimes-present Exquisite Pain by Damien Hirst (a gilded statue of St Bartholomew holding his own flayed skin and a scalpel), and the curious, formerly weeping bust of Edward Cooke. Before central heating was installed in the church, water would condense on the cold marble and run down his cheeks – there is even a plaque inviting visitors to join in and “unsluce yor briny floods”.

The Streets Of London – Part Forty Three

St Bartholomew’s Gatehouse, EC1A London is a dynamic city and its landscape reflects its ever-changing, restless spirit. It is rare to see a perfectly preserved example of how London once looked and when we do, the least we can do is stop and admire. If you turn left out of St Paul’s tube station and walk along Newgate street and turn right into King Edward Street you will soon come to Little…

I spent a brief hour in this amazing, atmospheric, ancient building – the Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great, founded in 1123 and probably London’s oldest church, described as ‘..the most important C12 monument in London…’ by Pevsner. (more…)