For more than 1,400 years, a cathedral dedicated to St Paul has stood at the highest point in the city.
City of London, Greater London
Frequently at the centre of national events, traditions have been observed here and radical new ideas have found expression under the iconic dome. In many cases these events have left some physical record as well as echoes in the intangible memory of the building.
The present cathedral, the masterpiece of Britain's most famous architect Sir Christopher Wren, is at least the fourth to have stood on the site. It was built between 1675 and 1710, after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London, and services began in 1697.
This was the first cathedral to be built after the English Reformation in the 16th century, when Henry VIII removed the Church of England from the jurisdiction of the Pope and the Crown took control of the life of the church.
City of London, Greater London
There has been a church on this site, dedicated to St Benet (or Benedict), since the 12th century, Shakespeare refers to it and both Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey may have received the last rites here.
City of London, Greater London
St Andrew by the Wardrobe was the last city church rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London.
City of London, Greater London
One of the most striking aspects about St Martin within Ludgate exterior is its tall, sharp leaded spire, which when seen from the lower part of Fleet Street, is a deliberate foil to the massive rounded dome of St Paul's Cathedral.
