The Britain Express website tells us:
Little but the tower remains from this early church, believed to be one of the first built in the City of London.
Certainly it was in existence in the 16th century, for Princess Elizabeth, later Elizabeth I, donated new bell ropes to the church, as she said that the church bells had been music to her ears during her imprisonment at the nearby Tower of London. One of those famous bells, dated to 1458, is preserved at Grocers Hall, London.
All Hallows Staining collapsed in 1671, due perhaps to weakening of the foundations from the high number of burials at the church. A new church was built, but this was dismantled in 1870, leaving only the tower. This tower, a severe example of Perpendicular Gothic style, was sold to The Clothworkers' Company, on condition that they maintain the site in perpetuity. It appears they have held to their bargain, for the tower still stands, amid more modern, but perhaps less appealing, London architecture.
As an aside, the name "Staining" does not refer to discolouration, or to a district of old London, but derives from "Staniggecherch" or "stone church".
A notice to the right of the tower's door tells us:
The Tower of All Hallows Staining
The Tower of All Hallows Staining, dated c1320, is believed to be part of the second church on this site.
The second church survived the Great Fire of 1666, although the adjacent Clothworkers' Hall was razed to the ground. In 1671 the church collapsed owing, it is thought, to weakening of the foundations caused by the large number of burials in the adjoining churchyard.
Rebuilt in 1674, it was finally pulled down in 1870 on the amalgamation of the Parish of All Hallows with the Parish of St Olave, Hart Street.
Between 1948 and 1954 the Tower formed the chancel of a pre-fabricated church, known as St Olave, Mark Lane, substituting for St Olave, Hart Street, which had been gutted during the Second World War.
The Tower and remains are Grade I listed with the entry at the English Heritage website telling us:
C12 or C13 onwards. Lowest stage of tower of coursed ragstone rubble with some knapped flint, probably C12 or C13. Two-light cinquefoil window in west wall, pointed arches in south and east walls of tower. The second stage of the tower, fragmentary remains of a diagonal buttress and south and west walls of the south aisle or nave are probably C14. Octagonal stair turret at north-west corner of tower, with four-centre head doorways to four internal stages, is probably C15. Second stage cinquefoil windows, restored externally but retaining C16 brickwork internally. Parts of the third stage brickwork date from C18. Upper third and fourth stage restored following demolition of the body of the church in 1870.
The London Gardens Online website adds:
The medieval Tower of All Hallows Staining is all that remains of a church that was on this site from 1218/9. The tower is thought to be that of the second church, enlarged in 1615, which survived the Great Fire in 1666 but collapsed in 1671 probably owing to the weakening of its foundations caused by the large number of burials in the churchyard. Although it was rebuilt in 1674 the church was demolished in 1870, and the site sold to the Clothworkers' Company who restored the tower in 1872/3 when the C12th crypt of Lambe's Chapel was rebuilt here. The Tower is now within a small paved public garden, surrounded by railings.
The medieval tower of All Hallows Staining is situated between the Clothworkers' Hall and the north wall of Dunster Court, Minster Lane. The church here dated from 1218/9, and the tower, which is all that remains, was from c1320, thought to be that of the second church on the site. There is a story, unconfirmed, that Princess Elizabeth who enjoyed the sound of the bells while in the Tower, attended this church after her release on 19 May 1554 and gave the church a new bell rope, after which an annual dinner was held on that day, later altered to the date of her accession as Elizabeth I. The church bell, said to be oldest in the City, dated from 1458 and is now in Grocers' Hall, the parish and church having been acquired by the Grocers' Company some time after the Reformation. The church was enlarged in 1615 and although it survived the Great Fire in 1666, it then partially collapsed in 1671 probably owing to the weakening of its foundations caused by the large number of burials in the adjoining churchyard. The church was rebuilt in 1674 but in 1870 it was demolished and the parish amalgamated with that of St Olave Hart Street (q.v.).
The site was sold to the Clothworkers' Company, whose Hall was adjacent to the church, on condition that the medieval tower was preserved in good order. It was restored in 1872-3 when the crypt of Lambe's Chapel was brought here by the Company and placed beneath the tower. The former site of Lambe's Chapel had been by London Wall in Monkwell Street near the current Monkwell Square (q.v.). It was originally the C12th chapel of St James in the Wall, which at the Dissolution of the Monasteries was given in 1543 to William Lambe. Lambe was Master of the Clothworkers' Company in 1569-70, and the chapel was later named after him. Lambe is known for bringing water to that part of London later crossed by Lamb's Conduit Street. The chapel had been demolished and rebuilt in 1825 and one of its brasses survives in St Olave's Hart Street.
Between 1948 and 1954 the Tower of All Hallows Staining formed the chancel of a pre-fabricated church known as St Olave Mark Street that was used following the World War II damage to St Olave Hart Street. The Tower is now within a small paved public garden, which has a number of tombstones.