St Michael Paternoster Royal

St Michael Paternoster Royal stands on College Hill in the City of London. The church traces its origins to 1219 and was rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666 under Sir Christopher Wren. It was damaged again in the London Blitz and restored between 1966 and 1968. The name comes from its position on Paternoster Lane, once home to rosary sellers, and a vanished street called Le Ryole, linked to wine merchants. Richard Whittington, four times Lord Mayor of London, was buried here in 1423. The church holds a monument to Sir Samuel Pennant, a Lord Mayor who died from jail fever. After wartime damage, the building was restored and now serves as the headquarters of the Mission to Seafarers. Its architecture includes a Portland stone façade, a balustraded roof and a distinctive spire designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor. The interior reflects its dual purpose, with a chapel and offices for the Mission to Seafarers. Visitors find a rectangular church with a south front of Portland stone and six round-headed windows. The tower in the southwest corner leads inside, where stained glass windows depict St Michael, the Virgin Mary and Dick Whittington with his cat. The reredos features Corinthian columns and Baroque statues of Moses and Aaron, while the organ case dates from 1644. The chapel’s east wall holds three windows by John Hayward, and the space retains elements from the 17th century.