St Michael, Cornhill

St Michael, Cornhill stands in the City of London’s Cornhill ward as a medieval parish church with roots before the Norman Conquest. Its foundations sit directly above part of the western apse of London’s first Roman basilica, built between AD 90 and 120. The present building replaced the medieval church after the Great Fire of 1666, traditionally attributed to Sir Christopher Wren. The tower, completed in 1721, was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor in Gothic style. The church was embellished in the 19th century by Sir George Gilbert Scott and Herbert Williams. The church’s early history includes a gift to Evesham Abbey in 1055 by Alnod the priest. A tower was added in 1421, and John Stow described it as fair but later marred by tenements. A folk tale from the 16th century tells of bellringers who saw a frightening sight during a storm and found claw marks in the masonry. After the Great Fire, the new church was 83 feet long and 67 feet wide, with Doric columns and a groined ceiling. The tower’s height reached 130 feet, with elaborate turrets resembling those of King’s College Chapel. Inside, visitors find Scott’s Franco-Italian Gothic porch with carvings by John Birnie Philip. The pews, pulpit, and royal pew date from the 1850s, carved by Mr Rogers to Scott’s designs. Stained glass by Clayton and Bell depicts the life of Christ, with Christ in Glory in the east window. The south side has a cloister-like passage with plaster vaults, and the chancel features marble steps and a mosaic floor by Minton. The 1672 font by James Paul remains, though with a new balustrade.