St George Botolph Lane | |
---|---|
Location | London |
Country | United Kingdom |
Denomination | Church of England |
History | |
Founded | 13th century |
Architecture | |
Architect(s) | Christopher Wren |
Style | Baroque |
Closed | 1890 |
Demolished | 1904 |
St. George Botolph Lane was a church off Eastcheap, in the ward of Billingsgate in the City of London. The rear of the church overlooked Pudding Lane, where the fire of London started. It was first recorded in the twelfth century, and destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. It was one of the 51 churches rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren. The church was demolished in 1904.
St. George Botolph Lane was the only church in the City of London dedicated to St George of Cappadocia, the patron saint of England. St Botolph was the Anglo-Saxon patron saint of travellers, consequently churches dedicated to him were usually located at city gates. There still three churches in the City of London dedicated to St. Botolph (none by Wren) – St Botolph's Aldgate, St Botolph Aldersgate and St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate. Botolph Lane, on which St. George’s stood, was named after a fourth – St. Botolph Billingsgate, which was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and not rebuilt.
The earliest surviving reference to St. George’s is in a deed dated 1180, as "St. George's in Estehepe". Other early records refer to the church as "S. George the Martyr near Estchep," "St. George Buttolph" and "Seynt George in Podynge lane". The church underwent renovation in 1360 and 1627. According to John Stow, writing during the reign of Elizabeth I, the church had escaped the depredations of Tudor looting since its monuments "were well preserved from spoil".