5/5 Ian B. 5 months ago on Google • 84 reviews
This
is
London’s
oldest
church
dating
from
1123.
It
was
founded
by
Rahere
who
is
credited
as
being
a
monk/
scholar
or
as
the
court
jester
to
King
Henry
1st
of
England.
It's
tiny
but
majestic
at
the
same
time
and
we'll
worth
a
visit
being
a
short
walk
from
Faringdon
tube
station.
The
church
has
been
used
as
a
film
location,
Robin
Hood
Prince
of
Theives,
Shakespeare
in
Love,
Four
Weddings
and
a
Funeral,
Elizabeth
the
Golden
Age.
As
you
enter
into
the
church
yard,
tge
main
entrance,
you'll
see
one
of
Londons
only
surviving
wooden
Tudor
buildings.
This
should
have
been
demolished
following
the
Great
Fire
of
London
in
1666
but
was
plastered
over
and
rhus
hidden.
It
remained
hidden
until
the
WW2
when
a
bomb
fell
close
by
and
the
plaster
fell
off
the
building
to
reveal
the
Tudor
structure
below.
Alas,
it
is
urban
myth
that
Mary
the
1st
viewed
martyrs
burnt
at
the
stake
from
its
windows.
The
building
was
not
erected
until
after
her
death.
In
2005
to
mark
the
700th
anniversary
of
the
execution
of
Sir
William
Wallace
(Braveheart),
there
was
a
service
held
in
the
church
to
mark
the
occasion.
There
is
a
plaque
in
the
church
yard
to
mark
the
event.
St
Bartholomew
was
skinned
alive
and
in
the
church
there
is
a
sculpture
by
Damien
Hurst.
The
sculpture
is
titled
Exquisite
Pain
St
Bartholomew
was
skinned,
flayed
alive
in
the
1st
century
AD
in
Armenia
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