St Sepulchre is the largest parish church in the City of London. It is mentioned in the nursery rhythm “Oranges and Lemons” in the line “When will you pay me? Say the bells at Old Bailey”.
It’s built in the gothic style and is easily recognisable with its tower topped with four oversized pinnacles.
Inside the 150ft/ 45m long nave with its tall classical Tusan columns and large windows provides the church with a grand and spacious interior.
History
The church is named after the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The "without Newgate" refers to the church being originally located outside of the City's walls.
St Sepulchre was first mentioned in 1137 and subsequently rebuilt in the mid 1400s. The present church was built after the Great Fire of London of 1666, but it was not designed by Sir Christopher Wren, and was later restored in the 1800s.
Dame Nellie Melba's Window
Things to Look Out For
St Sepulchre is often referred to as the Musicians' Church due to a number of musical associations.
Henry Wood, the founder of the Proms classical music festival, learnt to play the organ here and when he died in 1944 his ashes where brought here.
There is also a beautiful stained glass window depicting Dame Nellie Melba, the Australian soprano singer. In the bottom right hand corner of the window are peaches to remember that the Peach Melba ice cream desert is named after her.
Execution Bell
Opposite St Sepulchre is the Central Criminal Court, also known as the Old Bailey. Newgate Prison which originally stood on the site of the Old Bailey had a close association with the church. Inside the church there is a small hand bell known as the "Execution Bell". It was a bequest from Robert Dowe in 1605 and it was rung outside the door of the condemed person's cell in Newgate Prison the night before their execution.
This is just one of the church's more grusome connections. If you would like to discover more book on the Smithfield or Sinister Smithfield walks. Please note on both walk we will only be viewing the outside of St Sepulchre.
The author of this blog is a qualified City of London and City of Westminster Tour Guide who leads guided walks combining world famous landmarks with hidden treasures often missed by the crowds.
