by Isabelle Esteves

Created on: November 11, 2011   Last Updated: November 18, 2011

The Medieval Period in English history is defined as between the year 800AD and 1500AD. This was a time when the Roman Catholic Church was very active in England and there were many churches built during this time period.  If you had visited during this period, there would have been perhaps 100 parish churches scattered throughout the city. Unfortunately, the Great Fire destroyed many of them and some were replaced by lovely church designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Luckily for those who love old original churches there were a few that survived the Great Fire.

The greatest of these is the magnificent Westminster Cathedral. The current building was begun by that great builder King Henry III It was built to house the shrine of Saint Edward, the great Anglo Saxon King. This cathedral is a must visit site for not only those who are religious but for those who want to get close to the history of England. Some of the most important people in English history are either actually buried in the cathedral or memorialized here. Among those actually buried here are the great English poet Geoffrey  Chaucer and the equally great queen Elizabeth I.  It is also the final resting place of the Merry Monarch Charles II and Charles Darwin author of The Origins of the Species.

St Ethelreda Church  is one of only two buildings in London that exist from the reign of King Edward I, who was the son of King Henry III who was the builder of Westminster Cathedral.  The church was built in 1290 as a chapel for the Bishop of Ely. St Ethelreda is a Roman Catholic Church and as such is the oldest Catholic church in England. If you are visiting St. Ethelreda’s be sure to look for the memorial stained glass window which commemorates the martyrs who refused to acknowledge King Henry VIII as head of the church in England, they are three Carthusian monks and two priests. The monks had their charter house nearby on the land that was part of the Bishop of Ely’s land and palace. The church has been beautifully restored and is the site of a priceless relic, the hand of Saint Ethelreda. 

The Temple Church is one of the most unusual of the medieval churches that survive in London.  It is the church that is located right in the midst of the courts. The church was built in the 12th century by the Knights Templar. The round church is of particular interest having been built in 1185. In this church there are graves with effigies of some of the Knights. It was built in the round to resemble the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

A visit to these three churches will give you a good taste of what the medieval period of churches in London was like. They are all very different and  give a glimpse into a time and place long past.

Learn more about this author, Isabelle Esteves.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.