St Dunstan-in-the-East - Idol Lane, London, UK
N 51° 30.581 W 000° 04.964
30U E 702432 N 5710541
The church, that was originally built around 1100, is located to the north of Lower Thames Street. The bell tower, with spire, is intact but only the walls remain of the rest of the church and this has been turned into a pleasant, quiet garden.
Waymark Code: WMN7FB
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/12/2015
Views: 3
From 1951 to 1970 the church had a ring of 8 bells cast by John Taylor & Co. The bells were last rung in 1970 after which they were removed from the bell tower and moved to a winery in California where they still reside today.
The removal of the bells was without mishap and the Loves website tells us:
On the 6th December 1970 dismantling was completed and the fine tenor was smashed up in the tower as it wouldn't go through the bell hole in the plaster vault which was ?" smaller and circular. A day or two before, a lorry had hit a bollard and clipped Taylor's truck, catching the headstock of the 5th and tipping the bell off on to the cobbles breaking it into pieces. The bells were sold back to their founders for ?2,544. Shortly afterwards, the bells were moved to Sterling Winery, Calistoga in California, USA (the treble and 5th were recast and a new treble added).
The City of London website gives a brief history of the church:
The Church of St Dunstan was originally built around 1100. A new south aisle was added in 1391 and was repaired in 1631. It was severely damaged in 1666 by the Great Fire of London. Rather than being completely built it was patched up. A steeple and tower was added in 1695-1701 by Sir Christopher Wren.
The Church was again severely damaged in the Blitz of 1941. Wren’s tower and steeple survived the bombing. During the re-organisation of the Anglican Church after World war II it was decided not to rebuild St. Dunstan’s.
In 1967 the City of London decided to turn the remains into a public garden, which opened in 1970.
The church is Grade I listed with the entry at the English Heritage website telling us:
Tower, 1698, by Wren. Large, Portland stone structure in gothic style. 3 main stages, Diagonal buttresses rising to octagonal turrets with large finials. Smaller finials between. Stone spire supported on open diagonal arches. Enriched doorways to west and south. North side now obscured by low building. East side rendered where formerly within church. Fine gates and railings to both doorways. Body of church, 1817-18, by David Laing. Destroyed except for walls in World War II. Gothic style with buttresses, traceried windows pinnacles etc. Yellow brick faced externally in Portland stone. North-east vestry. East wall reduced to sill level in centre.