St Paul's, Covent Garden (Inigo Jones, 1631-33; renovated by Thomas Hardwick, 1788; altered by William Butterfield, 1871)

St Paul's, Covent Garden

Inigo Jones

1631-33; renovated by Thomas Hardwick, 1788; altered by William Butterfield, 1871

Covent Garden, London

Caption and commentary by Jacqueline Banerjee.

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This much-loved London building close to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, is known as "The Actors' Church." Despite its size, hundreds had to be turned away when John Wesley preached here; great artists of all kinds have been associated with it. J. M. W. Turner and W. S. Gilbert are among those who were baptised here, and Grinling Gibbons and Ellen Terry are among those buried here. The church's portico was used as part of the setting for the film of Shaw's Pygmalion. Curiously, the entry beneath the portico is never used, because the altar is placed on the east wall behind it.

Source

Weinreb, Ben and Christopher Hibbert, eds. The London Encyclopaedia London: Macmillan, rev.ed 1992.

Last modified 15 January 2008