Churches and Cathedrals in The Brooks

"Westminster Cathedral is the most important Catholic church in Central London that’s located just minutes from both Buckingham Palace and the equally as striking Westminster Abbey. Built during Victorian times, it’s famed for its red and white striped brick exteriors and oriental-style domes. Indoors, you’ll find Westminster Cathedral’s huge central nave (which can seat a whopping 1000 people!) decorated with smooth marble, mosaics and glittering gold detailing."

"A post shared by marilyneb (@marilyneb1) on May 24, 2017 at 12:34am PDT. Wander over to the picture-perfect Westminster Cathedral near Victoria Station. As the mother church for Roman Catholics in England and Wales, this cathedral is a vibrant place of worship and offers Holy Mass more than 40 times a week."

"The second London cathedral is the one Roman Catholic church on our list. Westminster Cathedral is quite a surprise as you walk along Victoria Street towards Westminster. The red and white striped church looks like something out of Ravenna or Constantinople rather than London."

"Day 1: Arrive in London, Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour, the London EyeDay 2: Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Whitehall, Covent GardenDay 3: Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Borough Market, Tate Modern, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Sky GardenDay 4: National Gallery, Greenwich, Prime Meridian, Up at the O2Day 5: British Museum, Portobello Road Market, Victoria and Albert Museum, Harrod’s"

"From the Tower of London, walk 20 minutes west, up Ludgate Hill, and find yourself at the City of London’s highest point – right in the shadow of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Whether it’s the Cathedral’s iconic dome, colonnade-adorned West Front, or glistening interior, there’s plenty to leave you speechless during a stroll through St. Paul’s."

"Year Built: 675 CE Location: Byward Street, City of London Purpose:  Church (Current Denomination – Church of England) Still Standing:  Yes. photo source: Wikimedia Commons. Although St. Bride’s Church is considered older, All Hallows by the Tower often cites itself as the oldest church in the City of London – unlike other early churches, All Hallows has a definitive founding date backed up by well-kept records."

"Reconstruction during 1955, after extensive damage in the Blitz. Image source: Ben Brooksbank / CC BY-SA 2.0. Located on the doorstep of the Tower of London, this church has buried the bodies of numerous victims sentenced to death on Tower Hill, including those of Thomas More, Bishop John Fisher and Archbishop Laud."

"All Hallows-by-the-Tower is an ancient historic Anglican church that was founded in 675. Surprisingly, it's still not the oldest church in London. Inside the church is a seventh century Anglo-Saxon arch with recycled Roman tiles."

"A post shared by Hugo de Groot (@hugo_de_groot_creative) on Mar 22, 2019 at 10:18am PDT. Among the oldest churches in London, Temple Church was built by the Knights Templar, an order of crusaders founded in the early 12th century to protect pilgrims travelling to Jerusalem. Serving as a HQ from the order’s early days, the Round Church was modelled on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and contains the effigies of some of medieval England’s most important men."

"This church belongs to the Inner and Middle Temple, two of England’s ancient societies of lawyers. Located in the heart of the city between River Thames and Flee Street, the Temple Church’s origin dates back to 12th century. Built by Knights Templar, this church showcases a typical round structure."

"I wonder how many of those souls queuing for hours to enter Westminster Abbey have ever broken away to venture inside this fascinating Westminster church. St Margaret’s Church Westminster is located in the churchyard of the Abbey,and is often called the ‘parish church of the House of Commons’. It is often frequented by politicians and parliamentarians, and the connection dates back to the 17th century when Puritan MPs started to worship there as they disapproved of the style of worship in Westminster Abbey."

"The parish church of Parliament is next to Westminster Abbey. Samuel Pepys got wed here and Sir Walter Raleigh is buried in the yard"

"St Botolph was a Saxon saint who built a large monastery near to modern-day Boston (a corruption of Botolph’s town) in Lincolnshire in 654. He was the English patron saint of travellers and has three surviving churches in the City dedicated to him. They are all situated next to old city gates, presumably so that those about to set off could dedicate so"

"The gothic tower of St. Michael Cornhill is sometimes called Wren’s last work (it was finished in 1721) but was actually designed by his pupil Nicholas Hawksmoor. The rest of the church is by Wren. Thomas Gray, the author of Elegy in a Country Churchyard, was baptised here, and the church has his walking stick."

"St Etheldreda’s Church is the oldest church in London, and one of only two in the city which have survived since the reign of Edward I. The exact date in which the building was constructed is unknown but is expected to be between 1250 and 1290. Dedicated to the Anglo-Saxon saint Etheldreda who founded the monastery at Ely back in 673 the church was purchased by the Catholic Church in 1874 and opened in 1878. As such it’s now one of the oldest operational churches in England owned by the Catholic Church."

"Dating from the reign of Edward I, this is one of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in the country and was the private chapel of the Bishops of Ely"

"If there ever was a defining landmark in London, it’s the Tower Bridge. Often mistaken by tourist as the London Bridge, the Tower Bridge is quite a bit more ornate and lovely than the plain London Bridge to it’s west. Traffic (both foot and car) abounds on the Tower Bridge, but that doesn’t mean you can’t visit the inner workings of the bridge and learn all about it."

"Some people thought I was being brave when I posted shots like this on Instagram, but this composition is actually taken from an island in the middle of the road (so it’s totally safe). Try using a tripod, long exposure and taking pictures at night for a similar result to below. Best time for pics: Blue hour/nightCost: FreeLocation:Link on Google Maps"

"A big Kidadler favourite, Aldenham Country Park is one of North West London’s hidden gems and is set to reopen from June 20th!. Head over to the farm any day of the week from 9am to 6pm where you’ll find plenty of furry farmyard animals including rabbits, ferrets and guinea pigs. Aldenham are taking lots of measures to keep their farm attractions safe which you can find details of on their website."

"If you fancy a stroll back into history, take a look at Caversham Court Gardens. It lies within easy walking distance of Christchurch Meadows and has several very old features, primarily from the 17th century. To top it all, you can round of your visit with a nice cuppa from the tea kiosk."

"The Jack the Ripper Museum is devoted to one of London's most notorious and terrorizing serial killers. The museum recreates the setting in which the unsolved Jack the Ripper murders took place in 1888. The collection has original objects related to the crimes."

"For over 300 years, Burgh House has been one of London’s most iconic residences. It was originally built as a lavish home and lived in by characters including Elsie Bambridge, the daughter of Jungle Book author Rudyard Kipling. Today, Burgh House is open to the public and houses the Hampstead Museum, a small but thorough local history museum."

"Visitors to the Burgh House & Hampstead Museum can try on period costumes|© Ethel Davies / Alamy Stock Photo. The Burgh House & Hampstead Museum is a popular place for families with young children. This historic property has period costumes visitors can try on, a reading corner and a museum trail to explore."