LHK: Old St. Paul's Cathedral in London

David Nash Ford's Royal Berkshire History for Kids

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in Medieval London

Old St. Paul's Cathedral - © Nash Ford Publishing

Old St. Paul's Cathedral was a medieval church that stood on the site of the present cathedral in the City of London.
It replaced an older Saxon cathedral. Some people say that first there was a pagan temple dedicated to the goddess Diana on the site. The Romans or the Britons converted it to a church after Christianity came to Britain.
Building work on Old St. Paul's began in 1087. It was not finished until 1240!
More building work started only sixteen years later. This was finished in 1314.
It was 586 feet long. That made it the 3rd longest church in the World. The present cathedral is 12 feet shorter.
Its spire reached to 489 feet. That made it the tallest church in the World until Lincoln Cathedral was finished in 1311. The spire was struck by lightning in 1447, but was rebuilt 15 years later. It was struck again in 1561 and burnt down. It was not replaced this time. The same thing happened at Lincoln. Today, Salisbury Cathedral is the tallest church in the United Kingdom. Its spire reaches to 404 feet.
There was a detached bell-tower to call everyone to church, two cloisters (one two-storeyed one with a chapter house in the middle), a bishop's palace, a school, a college of canons & lots of associated monastic-type buildings.
St. Paul's Cross in the churchyard was a famous gathering point. Royal proclamations, Papal announcements and International news was read to the people from a pulpit there. They could also listen to famous preachers.
The cathedral was a famous place of pilgrimage for it housed the Shrine of St. Erkenwald.
The bodies of murdered kings, like Richard II & Henry VI, were displayed in St. Paul's to prove they were dead. Prince John of Gaunt was probably the most famous person buried there.
After the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the Reformation, most of the monastic buildings around the churchyard were sold as shops. They were especially popular with printers and publishers. Inside, the nave became more like a market-place than a church. Pedlars sold their wares, lawyers & servants offered their services and people held business meetings there.
In the 1630s, the famous architect, Inigo Jones, added a big classical portico (porch with columns) over the entrance.
Old St. Paul's was destroyed during the Great Fire of London in 1666. The ruins were later pulled down. The present cathedral was then built by Sir Christopher Wren.
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