From iconic cathedrals like St Paul’s to haunting ruins like St Dunstan in the East, the churches in London are more than places of worship — they are treasure troves of memory, mystery, and marvel. Some, like St Stephen Walbrook, stand among the most beautiful churches in London, while others are renowned as a famous church in London for their history or legends.
From grand London cathedrals to hidden parish gems, these sacred spaces awe with Gothic splendour, whisper secrets of weeping statues, prison bells, and tucked-away cafés. Whether you’re a history lover, architecture enthusiast, or seeker of the city’s strangest curiosities, exploring these churches in London offers a journey through the city’s most fascinating layers of time.
Table Of Contents
- St Paul’s Cathedral
- Westminster Abbey
- Southwark Cathedral
- St Mary’s Church
- Central Hall Westminster
- Temple Church
- All Hallows by the Tower
- St Martin-in-the-Fields
- St Sepulchre Without Newgate
- St Bride’s
- St Magnus the Martyr
- St Andrew Undershaft
- St Margaret Pattens
- St Dunstan in the East
- St Bartholomew the Great
- St Helen Bishopsgate
- St Mary le Bow
- St Ethelburga’s
- St Mary le Strand
- All Hallows
- St Stephen Walbrook
St Paul’s Cathedral
An icon of London’s skyline, St Paul’s Cathedral is world-famous for its magnificent dome, designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Step inside and marvel at the Whispering Gallery, intricate mosaics, and sweeping views from the top. It’s easy to miss, but the crypt also holds memorials to some of Britain’s greatest heroes, from Admiral Nelson to Sir Winston Churchill.
💸£20.50 (services are free)
📍St. Paul’s Churchyard, EC4M 8AD
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, a UNESCO World Heritage site has hosted royal weddings, coronations, and countless burials of historical figures. But beyond its Gothic grandeur, it holds one of London’s oddest secrets — poet Ben Jonson was buried standing up, squeezed into a tiny grave in Poet’s Corner. Centuries later, his unusual request still fascinates visitors.
💸£25 (services are free)
📍Dean’s Yard, SW1P 3PA
Southwark Cathedral
Dating back to the 12th century, Southwark Cathedral rises near London Bridge with its soaring arches and Shakespearean links. Step into the churchyard and you’ll find a quiet retreat in the city, but inside lies a trove of memorials — including one to Shakespeare’s brother, Edmund. You can even enjoy a concert at this gorgeous spot.
💸Free
📍London Brg, SE1 9DA
St Mary’s Church
St. Mary’s, a neoclassical beauty, is one of central London’s hidden gems. Known today for its concerts and cultural events, it’s also layered with history. The church once stood at the heart of fashionable 18th-century society — you might even imagine Dickens or Byron slipping through its doors.
💸Free
📍Wyndham Pl, York St, W1H 1PQ
Central Hall Westminster
Unlike most on this list, Central Hall is a Methodist venue built in 1912, with a vast domed ceiling and grand organ. Though now used for conferences and concerts, its scale and beauty rival many cathedrals.
💸Free, but events are ticketed
📍Storey’s Gate, SW1H 9NH
Temple Church
Built by the Knights Templar in the 12th century, Temple Church is a hidden medieval treasure. Its round nave — modeled on the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem — and effigies of armored knights give it an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in London. Fans of The Da Vinci Code will recognize its cinematic allure.
💸Free
📍Temple, EC4Y 7BB
All Hallows by the Tower
All Hallows is London’s oldest surviving church (founded in 675 AD) stands in the shadow of the Tower of London. Its crypt contains Roman tiles, Saxon stonework, and even a tessellated Roman floor. After WWII bomb damage, archaeologists also uncovered Anglo-Saxon relics and a wheel-head cross from the 900s, making it a living museum of London’s earliest history.
💸Free
📍Byward St, EC3R 5BJ
St Martin-in-the-Fields
On Trafalgar Square, this neoclassical landmark is both a church and a cultural hub. The crypt café is one of the city’s quirkiest places to eat, while candlelit concerts under its elegant arches remain a magical experience.
💸Free
📍Trafalgar Sq, WC2N 4JJ
St Sepulchre Without Newgate
Known as the National Musicians’ Church, St Sepulchre has a darker claim to fame. Inside is the Prison Bell, once carried through a tunnel to Newgate Prison and rung outside the cells of condemned prisoners on the eve of their execution. The chilling tradition ended long ago, but the bell still hangs in the church today as a macabre relic. You can also see a fire-scorched piscina, a stone basin that miraculously survived the Great Fire of London in 1666, its burn marks still visible.
💸Free
📍Holborn Viaduct, EC1A 2DQ
St Bride’s
Rising elegantly above Fleet Street, St Bride’s is best known for its spire — said to have inspired the tiered design of the traditional wedding cake. Yet the crypt reveals an even stranger secret: an iron coffin, patented in 1818 to thwart body-snatchers who once supplied corpses to London’s medical schools. Both romantic and eerie, St Bride’s perfectly mirrors the dual history of Fleet Street itself. Anyone got Sweeney Todd in their head right now though?
💸Free
📍Fleet St, EC4Y 8AU
St Magnus the Martyr
This riverside church hides a detailed model of Old London Bridge, showing the bridge as it appeared in the 1400s, complete with houses, chapels, and bustling life. Alongside it, visitors can see remnants such as a Roman wharf timber — physical connections to the city’s layered past, preserved within sacred walls.
💸Free
📍Lower Thames St, EC3R 6DN
St Andrew Undershaft
Tucked away in the shadow of the Gherkin skyscraper, this medieval church is home to the John Stow Memorial, dedicated to the Tudor historian. Every three years, his statue receives a new quill in a quiet ceremony — a rare survival of ritual tradition in the City of London.
💸Free
📍St Mary Axe, EC3A 8BN
St Margaret Pattens
This charming church takes its name from pattens, the overshoes worn to protect people’s feet from muddy streets. Inside, you’ll find a small collection of these historic shoes dating back to the 1600s and 1750s. They’re a quirky reminder of how closely church life was once tied to London’s medieval guilds and trades.
💸Free
📍Rood Ln, Eastcheap, EC3M 1HS
St Dunstan in the East
Destroyed during the Blitz, St Dunstan in the East was never rebuilt. Instead, it was transformed into a breathtaking public garden where ivy climbs the Gothic arches, and palm trees grow where pews once stood. A hauntingly beautiful fusion of ruin and renewal, it remains one of London’s most atmospheric hidden sanctuaries.
💸Free
📍St Dunstan’s Hill, EC3R 5DD
St Bartholomew the Great
Founded in 1123, St Bartholomew’s is one of the oldest churches in London and brims with curiosities. The marble memorial to Edward Cooke once condensed water and appeared to “weep” — an eerie effect that ended only when Victorian heating was installed. Today, alongside its medieval architecture, you’ll also find a startling modern relic: Damien Hirst’s sculpture ‘Exquisite Pain’ exploring the martyrdom of St Bartholomew himself.
💸Free
📍W Smithfield, Barbican, EC1A 9DS
St Helen Bishopsgate
Inside St Helen’s lies the unusual Nun’s Squint — tiny slits in a memorial that once allowed cloistered nuns to secretly observe Mass without being seen. The church also holds elaborate tombs, including those of Sir William Pickering and Sir Thomas Gresham, and even a stained-glass window linking Shakespeare to the parish.
💸Free
📍Great St Helen’s, EC3A 6AT
St Mary le Bow
Famous for its Bow Bells, which once marked the boundary of true Cockney heritage, this church hides a delightful surprise. In the crypt beneath its historic stones lies a café — one of the city’s most atmospheric spots for a quiet coffee.
💸Free
📍St Mary Le Bow Church, Cheapside, EC2V 6AU
St Ethelburga’s
Destroyed by an IRA bomb in 1993, St Ethelburga’s has been beautifully rebuilt as a place of peace and reconciliation. Its grounds include a tranquil peace garden and, most unexpectedly, a Bedouin tent, used for reflection and interfaith dialogue in the heart of the City.
💸Free
📍78 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AG
St Mary le Strand
Standing proudly on a traffic island, this church is one of the most striking oddities in central London. Encircled by passing buses and taxis, it’s a tiny pocket of baroque beauty marooned in the middle of the city’s chaos.
💸Free
📍Strand, WC2R 1ES
All Hallows
Nicknamed the travelling church, All Hallows was originally built on Lombard Street in the City of London but was dismantled and moved stone by stone to Twickenham in the 1930s. Even its tower, bells, and furnishings made the journey, making it one of the most extraordinary church relocations in England’s history.
💸Free
📍138 Chertsey Rd, TW1 1EW
St Stephen Walbrook
St Stephen Walbrook, rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of 1666, is one of London’s finest parish churches and the first domed church in England. Serving as a prototype for St Paul’s Cathedral, its elegant dome rests on twelve Corinthian columns, filling the space with light and harmony.
💸Free
📍39 Walbrook, EC4N 8BN
London is home to some of the most breathtaking churches and cathedrals in the UK. Behind their soaring spires and Gothic arches, many of these buildings also hide strange relics, curiosities, and centuries-old secrets. Whether you’re drawn to stunning architecture, fascinating artefacts, or peaceful places of reflection, these churches deserve a spot on your must-visit list.