All Hallows, Honey Lane

All Hallows Honey Lane
The current Honey Lane, located about 140 feet (43 m) east of the original lane
Location	City of London
Country	England
Denomination	Roman Catholic, Anglican
Architecture
Completed	c. 12th century
Demolished	1666

All Hallows, Honey Lane was parish church in the City of London, England. Of medieval origin, it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and not rebuilt; the site became part of Honey Lane Market, which was in turn cleared to make way for the City of London School in the 19th century.

All Hallows Honey Lane was located at the north end of Honey Lane, a narrow lane leading north from Cheapside. The church was surrounded on three sides by churchyard and enclosed by private houses. It was situated about 200 feet (61 m) north of Cheapside.John Stow's Survey of 1603 indicates the parish was part of Cheap Ward of the City of London.

After the Great Fire, the site, together with that of the adjoining church of St. Mary Magdalen Milk Street and several houses, was acquired by the City, cleared, and laid out as a market-place, called Honey Lane Market. The former church was situated in the northwest corner of this market.

The market closed in 1835 and the Corporation of London built the first City of London School there. After the bombings of World War II, the area was comprehensively redeveloped. The alignment of the present Honey Lane is about 140 feet (43 m) east of the original lane. The church site is now occupied by a British Telecom shop at 114 Cheapside.

The church may have originated as a private chapel associated with a nearby property, though no specific property has been identified. The earliest historical reference to the church, dating from between 1191 and 1212, comes in a deed which mentions one "Helias presbyter de Hunilane". Early mentions of the church describe it as "parochia Omnium Sanctorum de Hunilane" (1204–1215); "St. Elfegi de Hunilane" (1216–22, the only occurrence of an apparent alternative dedication), "All Hallows de Honilane" (1279); "All Hallows in Honylane" (1287) and "Parish of Honylane" (1297).

The parish of All Hallows was very small, and may originally have comprised only the area of those properties which surrounded Honey Lane and the churchyard and then been subsequently enlarged in the early 13th century. Even after this enlargement, the parish, covering only about 1 acre (0.4 hectare) in area, was one of the smallest in the City. There was a suggestion in 1658 that it should be united with that of St. Mary le Bow, but the idea was dropped and the two remained separate until after the Great Fire.