St Anne and St Agnes - Definition and Overview

St Anne and St Agnes is an Anglican church located at Gresham Street in the City of London, near the Barbican.

The first church on the site appears to have been built in Norman times, under the name of St Anne-in-the-Willows in the 13th century. Its double dedication – unique in the City – seems to have been acquired some time in the 15th century. The building's 14th century tower was its only section to survive the Great Fire of London in 1666 (and then only partially).

St Anne and St Agnes was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren in 1680, with possible contributions from Robert Hooke. The small brick church is of an unusual design in London, being based on that of a Greek cross; it utilises a vaulted square within a square, a formula based on the Nieuwe Kerk in Haarlem in the Netherlands. Wren also used a similar design at St Martin Ludgate and St Mary-at-Hill.

The church was extensively restored in the 18th and 19th centuries, but was largely destroyed by Second World War bombing. It was rededicated in 1968. The reconstructed interior is a mixture of replicas of the prewar fittings and original or copied fittings from other London churches, some of which had also been destroyed in the war but were not reconstructed.

See also

• List of churches and cathedrals of London

External links

• www.stanneslutheranchurch.org - Official website of St Anne's Lutheran Church.