St Antholin, Budge Row

St Antholin was a City of London church first recorded in 1119. It stood on the north side of Budge Row at the corner of Sise Lane in Cordwainer Ward. Originally dedicated to Saint Anthony the Great, it was rebuilt several times, once by John Tate in 1513. The church became known for its early morning lectures, announced by bells ringing at five each day. Both Sir Thomas Knollys, twice Lord Mayor, and his son Thomas were buried there. After the Great Fire of 1666 the church was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren between 1678 and 1684. The new building measured 66 feet by 44 feet with a tower and spire reaching 154 feet. The spire was octagonal, divided by ribs and crowned with a classical column head. Wren’s oval dome inside rested on eight tall columns, and a small organ gallery stood at the west end. The church was demolished in 1875 to make way for Queen Victoria Street. Its spire top, sold for five pounds, still stands on Round Hill House in Sydenham. A new St Antholin was built in Nunhead and consecrated in 1878, rebuilt after war damage in 1957. The parish later combined with St Silas, and two historic bells from the City church now hang in the Nunhead tower.