All Hallows by the Tower

All Hallows church was founded in 675AD by Erkenwald, Bishop of London, as a chapel of the great Abbey of Barking in Essex.

A complete arch from the original Saxon stone building is still in place and the Crypt Museum features a large area of tessellated Roman pavement, discovered in the early 20th century. The Museum also houses a quirky display of historical items from throughout All Hallows' long history, including the Templar altar from Richard the Lionheart's Castle Athlit in Palestine, the crow's nest from Shackleton's last Antarctic voyage and church registers recording the marriage of John Quincy Adams to a local girl and the baptism of William Penn.

The tower of the church was built, unusually, during the Commonwealth era and it is where Samuel Pepys made his observations of the progress of the Great Fire of London. All Hallows is also the Guild Church of Toc H, founded by Revd 'Tubby' Clayton, who was Vicar of the parish for 40 years. Tubby was also behind the rebuilding of the church after its damage in the Blitz of WW2, drawing in donations from all over the world.

The church was reconsecrated in 1957 and serves the local community and its many visitors as a place of welcome, reflection and discovery to this day. Along with its cafe next door, it is open 7 days a week with a regular schedule of events and services.