St Helen's Bishopsgate

St Helen Bishopsgate is a church that sits just around the corner from the Gherkin. It has a rich history of reconstructions and is very different today to what it was structured originally. Asides from the history, the church holds services on Sunday with up to 1,200 people. There are also regular meetings held during the week with lunchtime and evening sessions.

The church’s name comes from the mother of Constantine, the first Christian Roman Emperor. St Helen’s Church was mentioned in the middle of the 12th century as one of the churches in the jurisdiction of St Paul’s Cathedral.

Around 1210, Dean and Chapter of St Paul’s gave permission to a certain William to establish a nunnery at the north side of the church as well as a new church for nuns to use alongside the old church. The nun’s church named the Nuns’ Quire was 4 foot wider than the old church so the parish church was made longer to match the size of the Nuns’ Quire. That is what gives the present church the double-nave shape it now has. The arches and screen is very much the original of the 1480 build, except the timber is of more recent.

In 1538, the nunnery was surrendered to Henry VIII with the rest of the religious houses in England. By 1543, the Leathersellers’ Company acquired the Covent buildings and the land north of the church. During this time in the 16th century, the monasteries dissolved and alters within removed. There were no seats so everyone is expected to stand, which included the sick and elderly. The last Covent buildings were demolished in 1799 along with the Nuns’ Quire being assimilated into the parish church becoming what the church is now seen as today.

In 1874, St Martin Outwich, founded in the 14th century and rebuilt in 1796, was pulled down. 2 parishes were combined with 18 monuments brought in the church. The Merchant Taylors’ Company became the patron of the United Benefice. In 1922, excavations were carried out into the extensive foundations uncovering traces of the previous apse.

2 bombs within 2 years were set off affecting some of the infrastructure to the interior of the church. In April 10, 1992, an IRA bomb was set off outside the Baltic Exchange at St Mary Axe around 60 yards away, killing 3 people in the church. All the windows were shattered, the roof was lifted, the monuments were badly damaged and the organ was severely damaged. In April 20, 1993, another bomb was set off causing further devastation. These bombs were intended for the City but the church was in the path of its intentions. This proved a challenge for the Rector and Church Wardens, giving them an opportunity to re-arrange the building. Architect Quinlan Terry restored the flooring to its original medieval level. Modern lighting, a public address system were installed as well as a new gallery put into place of the old parish nave and Nuns’ Quire in the west end of the church.

Just above the balcony found just above the entrance inside, has a great view of the length and design of the church. You can definitely see the change of is restructure history as you see no alters, no hues, no pillars, very little stained glass (now only three 19th century windows remain) and the shape that is not based on a traditional church. The balcony also houses the Organ and its case, which were both built by Thomas Griffin in 1743, which was moved back to this original spot after the restructuring of the church following the IRA bombs.

This monument shows Sir John Spencer, his wife and daughter. He was a citizen and cloth worker who was Lord Mayor from 1594 to 1595. It was restored as much as possible to the original colours in 1950. Standing over the railings to the monument, you can see the preceding floor level before the restoration.

The covered Baptistry

In front of the dais is the total immersion baptistery which is covered by wooden planks. Many from different backgrounds (including ones from different religions) have immersed themselves in this pool as they pledged their faith in Jesus Christ.

The Nuns’ Squint are where all the misbehaving nuns or nuns suffering from an infectious disease would be kept for a duration. The slits allow the nuns to gaze into the church to view the high alter which once stood there.

The South Transept of the church was built in 1250 and are divided by two arches of the late 14th century. Following the IRA bomb in 1992, the glass of the Chantry Chapel windows were destroyed. The eastern section used to be called the Chapel of the Holy Ghost. In this section resides brasses etched into the floor with missing inscriptions. A log was made into the parish accounts in 1644 where an engraver was paid £1 and two shillings for “defacing the superstitious inscriptions”. This could be a reason of the prevention of further damage to the church in the midst of the Civil War or that the Church Wardens truly believed that the inscriptions were superstitious. Communion tables, remembering those who sacrificed themselves.

Communion Table

The church holds regular weekly talks, focus groups and studies during some days of the week from lunchtime to afternoon to evening sessions. Services are held on Sunday with a varied mix throughout the whole day. You can visit the church on any day from Monday to Friday morning or you can check the website to find a programme of sessions to attend.