Churches and Cathedrals in Collier Row

"Westminster Cathedral, or to give it it’s snappier full name 'the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ', is the second largest church building in London behind St Paul’s. It’s the largest catholic church building in England and Wales and former popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI both celebrated mass here, making it a hugely significant religious setting. Neo-byzantine in design, it’s also one of the prettiest churches in the capital and one of the most awe-inspiring to visit."

"The mother church of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Westminster Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster. Opening in 1903, the building is in a neo-Byzantine style, filled with attractive decorative mosaics and constructed from a blend of brick and concrete. The Grand Organ, constructed between 1922-1932, is considered one of the most successful and impressive of its kind."

"Not to be confused with Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral is a massive red-and-white-striped church. It was designed in the neo-Byzantine style and constructed between 1895–1903."

"Towering over diminutive Ludgate Hill in a superb position that's been a place of Christian worship for over 1400 years (and pagan before that), St Paul’s is one of London’s most magnificent buildings. For Londoners, the vast dome is a symbol of resilience and pride, standing tall for more than 300 years. Viewing Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece from the inside and climbing to the top for sweeping views of the capital is a celestial experience."

"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."

"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."

"Temple Church is linked with the Knights Templar and contains the stone effigies of eight slumbering knights on the floor of the Round Tower 3"

"Sir Christopher Wren’s baroque masterpiece in Greenwich and indeed Britain’s largest ensemble of baroque architecture, the Old Royal Naval College contains the neoclassical Chapel of St Peter and St Paul and the extraordinary Painted Hall. The entire Old Royal Naval College, including the chapel, the visitor centre, and the grounds, can be visited for free. Volunteers lead free 45-minute tours throughout the day from the visitor centre."

"Old Royal Naval College This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Greenwich. It once served as a naval hospital and later as a naval college. Now, this site is being used as a filming location for many famous movies such as The King’s Speech, Patriot Games, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Avengers, and The Dark Knight Rises."

"Begun by Sir Christopher Wren in 1694 as a rest home for ancient mariners, the college became a school in 1873. It's still used for classes…"

"St. Giles-in-the-Fields is known as the Poets’ Church and has a number of important burials plus a burial pit of plague victims"

"This striking Arts and Craft church was built in 1888-90, at the south-eastern side of Sloane Street. It was paid for by the 5th Earl of Cadogan, in whose estate it stood. John Dando Sedding’s design blends late Victorian trends of Pre-Raphaelite medieval and Italianate styles."

"This Anglican parish church was built in the late 19th-century and it’s so wide that it its width even exceeds that of St. Paul’s Cathedral"

"St Paul’s Church Covent Garden was the first new church in London to be built since the Reformation almost a century before. It was designed and built by Inigo Jones, the architect also responsible for other famous London buildings at Banqueting House, Whitehall and Queens House, Greenwich. It was built between 1631 and 1633 along with the new Covent Garden Piazza, the first formal square in England."

"Not to be confused with St Paul's Cathedral (a big attraction that comes with a ticket price), this church on the western flank of Covent Garden Piazza is also known as the Actor’s Church. The first Punch and Judy show took place here in 1662, and there are memorials to Charlie Chaplin and Vivien Leigh."

"Not to be confused with St Paul's Cathedral (a big attraction that comes with a ticket price), this church on the western flank of Covent Garden Piazza is also known as the Actor’s Church. The first Punch and Judy show took place here in 1662, and there are memorials to Charlie Chaplin and Vivien Leigh."

"Originating in New York, Red Farmlanded in Soho back in 2018, bringing with it quirky Pac Man shrimp dumplings and custard bao. Order one of their set menus online to enjoy their contemporary take on classic Chinese cuisine, with bottles of Champagne also available for those extra special occasions. Red Farm's steamed bites are almost too cute to eat...almost."

"Having originated in New York, Red Farm has quickly become known for its signature Pac Man dumplings. Found in the ever-buzzing area of Covent Garden, this restaurant serves playfully reimagined classic Chinese dishes in a relaxed setting."

"The Xi’an Chinese cooking that has made chef Wei Guirong — an alumnus of Sichuanese restaurant Barshu in Chinatown—a star of London dining, is now at home in Bloomsbury. Master Wei is Guirong’s first solo project — following her joint venture, Xi’an Impression by the Emirates Stadium in Highbury, a tiny restaurant which has rightly earned cult status among lovers of regional Chinese food in the capital. At Master Wei the focus is on the region’s flour-foods, mianshi: peerless biang biang noodle dishes, with vegetables or beef and hot chilli oil; fine liang pi, cold skin noodles with a cool, refreshing, umami rich dressing, and the chef’s inimitable “burgers” with a cumin-spiced beef or pork filling."

"Renowned for their signature thick noodles, Master Wei is up there with Chinatown's finest for top-notch bowls and traditional bites. Opt for a beef or veggie biang biang or branch out and get your chops around a pulled pork burger to see for yourself why it's arguably the best Chinese takeaway in the city. When you can't decide, it seems the only option is both..."

"Guirong Wei’s Qishan-style hand-pulled noodles are an elite cold weather food, a crimson slurp of sour, hot soup with a mottling of chilli oil clinging to its surface. It almost makes the heaters at her Bloomsbury restaurant unnecessary — almost, but they’ll ensure that the only cold skin on show is the liang pi noodles."

"Based in south London’s Brixton, the Black Cultural Archives is the only place in Britain that is dedicated to the history of the country’s black communities. The museum has a great collection of modern and historical artefacts and photographs that all tell their own stories on the topic of black British culture. When the museum was first coming together 30 years ago, it was a time when the African and Caribbean community in London was severely underappreciated, so the co-founder Len Garrison began collecting what is now one of the most comprehensive collections documenting the cultural heritage of Black Britain."

"The House of Dreams Museum is the vision of London art director Steven Wright, who has lived in the East Dulwich home since 1982. He began to turn it into a museum in the late 90s. It serves as a shrine to his dead parents and partner."

"Get to their brilliant shop, talk to their friendly team, grab a mini-keg, get home, turn off the phone, stick on your favourite movie (the superlative The Goonies, naturally) and enjoy life. If you are one of those social types it’ll also make you very welcome at any gathering. It’s proper beer that tastes of hundreds of years of beer genius distilled in glass."

"Sambrook's Brewery has recently relocated to the Ram Quarter in Wandsworth and boasts a new brewery, visitor centre and taproom. Enjoy modern handcrafted British beers brewed onsite after visiting the museum which puts you in the shoes of a brewer for the day."

"Long Arm Pub and Brewery are changing the game when it comes to pubs in East London. Brewing all their beer on-site, the pub changes their choices daily, rotating between six freshly brewed pints."