St Botolph-without-Aldersgate - London, England, UK
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 51° 31.017 W 000° 05.815
30U E 701416 N 5711310
This old church has been used as a Presbyterian Church since 2003..but the record of its history is confusing.
Waymark Code: WMDDB4
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 12/28/2011
Views: 7
First of all, there is apparently a St Botolph Church and a St Botolph-without-Aldersgate close to each other. The Presbyterians have used this church since 2003 and refer to it on their website (
visit link) as the London City Presbyterian Church. It is unclear whether the Presbyterians have sole use of the Church. Wikipedia (
visit link) indicates that it is an Anglican Church. To make matters murkier, there is a plaque at the site erected by the Methodist Historical Union concerning Rev. John Wesley's conversion in 1738.
Wikipedia further informs us:
"The first church was built during the reign of Edward the Confessor[1] and was a Cluniac priory with attached hospital for the poor[2]. The buildings were located outside the city wall[2]. In the 15th century, Henry V seized the property on the grounds that it was not English and granted it to the parish of St. Botolph, but it again became a religious foundation when one William Bever founded a brotherhood of the Holy Trinity there[2]. Upon the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century, the church, hospital and lands were granted to one of the king's heralds-at-arms, William Harvye or Somerset, in 1548[2].
The medieval church was a Gothic building, divided by arcades into nave and aisles. There were three gables at the east end. In 1627, the steeple was rebuilt in Portland stone, and the rest of the church repaired.
The church escaped the Great Fire of London, but, having become unsafe, was demolished [3] and rebuilt in 1788-91[4] under the supervision of Nathaniel Wright, Surveyor to the north district of the City of London.[5] The plain exterior is contrasted by an "exalting" succession of beautiful features inside.[6] The interior has wooden galleries supported on square panelled columns, Victorian stained glass windows, a semi-circular apse with a half dome, a highly decorative plasterwork ceiling, and the only 18th century stained glass window in the City, depicting The Agony in the Garden."
The Presbyterians' website indicates the following schedule of services:
"Sunday: 11:00 am Morning Worship
6:00 pm Prayer Meeting
6:30 pm Evening Worship
Mid-Week: 6:30 pm Prayer meeting in church on Thursday, alternating weekly, with home bible study meetings."