Building    From 1250  To 1962

St Swithin's church, London Stone

Categories: Religion

Of medieval origin, the church was destroyed by the Great Fire of London, and rebuilt to the designs of Sir Christopher Wren. It was badly damaged by bombing during WW2, and the remains were demolished in 1962.

At first known as "St Swithin in Candlewick Street" (the medieval name of Cannon Street). The name "St Swithin at London Stone" was first used in 1597. London Stone itself stood on the south side of Candlewick Street, opposite the church. In 1742 London Stone was moved from the south side of the street to a location beside the church door. In the 1820s it was placed in an alcove within a stone casing set into the south wall of the church, where it remained until the demolition of the church in 1962.

This drawing shows the casing as it was in 1839.  It is remarkable how similar the design is to that of the 1962 cubicle, and then the 2019 one.

Saint Swithin was a 9th-century bishop of Winchester.

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
St Swithin's church, London Stone

Commemorated ati

London stone - 2011

This is the text that was on top of the cubicle in which the Stone sat from a...

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London Stone - 2019

The Stone is not inscribed - the lettering you can see is a reflection from t...

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Other Subjects

Catholic Apostolic Church

Catholic Apostolic Church

The Amwell Society say ". . . an eccentric sect which petered out in the 20th century because its priesthood depended on heredity. What was planned as its cathedral is now the University of Londo...

Group, Religion

1 memorial
Archbishop Charles Manners-Sutton

Archbishop Charles Manners-Sutton

Born Charles Manners.  In 1762 his father added Sutton to the family surname following an inheritance.  Archbishop of Canterbury 1805 - 1828.  Died at home, Lambeth Palace.

Person, Religion

1 memorial
Toc H

Toc H

International Christian movement. Named after Talbot House, using the army's signaling code for "T". Founded by Tubby Clayton.

Group, Philanthropy, Religion

1 memorial
David Hope, Bishop of London

David Hope, Bishop of London

1992  Bishop of London 1991-5. 2005 created a life peer, Baron Hope of Thornes. 2013 caught up in a scandal concerning the 2003 child abuser, Dean of Manchester, Robert Waddington, whom Hope had no...

Person, Religion

1 memorial
Bunhill Fields Burial Ground

Bunhill Fields Burial Ground

Nonconformists burial ground.  Enclosed with a brick wall by the City of London in 1665; gates added 1666. Closed in 1852 by which time it held more than 120,000 bodies.  In 1865, to preserve the ...

Place, Gardens / Agriculture, Religion

1 memorial

Previously viewed

London Stone

London Stone

Elizabeth I's occultist, John Dee, believed this stone had magic powers. Elsewhere you may read that it is connected to the Roman Brutus but that story was fabricated in 1862. The Museum of London ...

Building, Romans, Tourism / Traditions

2 memorials
Great Storm - Victoria Park

Great Storm - Victoria Park

E9, Victoria Park, Crown Gate West

We originally photographed this plaque in 2010. Returning in 2016, we found that the empty small white plinth to the right of the tree wa...

2 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
Lyons first teashop

Lyons first teashop

W1, Piccadilly, 213

We thank History of Kilburn and West Hampstead for the photo. They published it in connection with their biography of Edwin Levy who owne...

1 subject commemorated
John Constable - Fitzrovia

John Constable - Fitzrovia

W1, Charlotte Street, 76

We thank Steve Roffey for alerting us to this item at Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Association 1. We thank FNA for the photos and for their ca...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
The Beatles

The Beatles

George Harrison,  John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr.

Group, Music / songs, Seriously Famous

6 memorials