Churches and Cathedrals in London Borough of Merton

"Westminster Cathedral is located in central London and is an iconic monument in the heart of England’s Government. The Cathedral itself is a Catholic Church and was bought by the Diocese of Westminster in 1885, before becoming the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster. The Church is built in the neo-Byzantine style and takes up over 5000 square metres of space."

"Often overlooked in favour of Westminster Abbey is Westminster Cathedral. The mother church of Roman Catholics in England and Wales, this cathedral is situated next to Victoria Tube station on the District and Circle lines. Over 360ft long and 284ft tall the incredible construction that is Westminster Cathedral was built in the early 1900s."

"Westminster Cathedral is the Mother Church for Roman Catholics in England and Wales. The site, a marshy wasteland around Westminster, has been home to markets, a maze, pleasure gardens, bull-baiting rings and a prison. It was acquired by the Catholic church in 1884."

"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"

"Finally, All Hallows-by-the-Tower is believed to be the oldest surviving church in London, and overlooks the Tower of London on Byward Street. The church was founded in 675, and while it has obviously undergone extensive restoration since then, it still contains an Anglo-Saxon arch from the time which we believe qualifies it to take the crown as London’s oldest church!. Thanks to its proximity to the Tower of London, this church was frequented often where beheading victims were sent for a temporary burial!"

"All Hallows-by-the-Tower is associated with the executions on Tower Hill, and has a piece of Roman pavement in the crypt 4"

"Temple Church in Central London is the physical embodiment of the Knights Templar, a religious order that also trained as warrior monks. This is history that is strong on narrative and bursting with battles and blood-lust. Temple Church was built by the Knights Templar, the order of crusading monks who sought to protect pilgrims on their journeys to Jerusalem in the 12th century."

"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."

"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 Sepulchre is dominated by its grey 15th century Gothic tower. Captain John Smith, the famous Governor of Virginia, rescued by Pocahontas, was buried here in 1631. But St Sepulchre also has darker associations."

"This is my nomination as the most beautiful of the churches in the City of London. It was also built bySir Christopher Wren, and I’d go so far as to say that it’s a London must see. It’s a beautifully proportioned Church, appearing quite small from outside but inside there’s a soaring, lofty central dome and wonderful sense of space."

"Sir Christopher Wren is best known for the design and construction of St Paul’s Cathedral. He also built many other churches around London after the Great Fire. He probably did more to shape the appearance of London than any other single person, all the way through to the 19th century."

"Wildly regarded as Wren’s best City church, this was damaged during the Blitz so they commissioned Henry Moore to design a new altar"

"Located on an island in the middle of the bustling Strand, St Clement Danes Church church offers an oasis of calm. Explore the famous London church, whose bells are mentioned in the traditional Oranges and Lemons nursery rhyme, and hear them ring out across the City of London several times a day. Reconsecrated as the Central Church of the Royal Air Force in 1958, the church is also home to books of remembrance and more than 1,000 RAF badges."

"St Clement Danes church is one of the best-known churches in Westminster, London. It’s a fine white Baroque building with a prominent spire on a traffic island in the Strand, close to the Royal Courts of Justice. It’s famous for the nursery rhyme ‘Oranges and lemons ring the bells of St Clement’s’, and it’s not the only church in our list to get a mention in."

"Christopher Wren and James Gibbs rebuilt the original 9th-century church, but only its outer walls and steeple survived destruction in the Blitz"

"The restaurant has been around for 38 years — possibly the oldest Japanese restaurant in the UK. Kenichi Ikeda, the second-generation owner, acts as restaurant manager, with his brother supporting the operation as chef. The menu is wide reaching, traditional but top-notch and full of seasonal wow moments."

"The Heath Robinson Museum is a biographical museum dedicated to the life and art of its namesake. The museum displays memorabilia, artwork, and objects from the life of Heath Robinson, as well as hosts exhibitions and events that support Robinson's life mission and vision. Admission to the museum is free."

"As one of the “OGs” in the matcha scene in London, Tsujiri is most certainly a reliable pick for matcha. They are a matcha dessert tea house so they definitely take their matcha very seriously!. My favourite include the likes of Matcha Soft Serve Ice Cream and Matcha Basque Cheesecake, both lusciously velvety and simply sensational."

"TSUJIRI is a dessert tea house that specialises in everything matcha. Yep, if you’re not a fan of that finely ground fluorescent green tea powder then you’re probably not going to be a huge fan of TSUJIRI. If you’re mad for the stuff, though, you’re in luck."

"Chinatown’s Tsujiri has been mainly about the oh-so-instagrammable matcha soft serves. But they do tubs of their matcha, sesame and black sesame ice cream to have at home too. Delivery: Same day delivery through Slerp"

"This Chinatown spot isn’t the only place doing soft serve in London. But it is one of the only places I’ve found that does excellent soft serve with brown tapioca, and as someone who is very much addicted to boba, it’s a yes from me. There are four flavours of soft serve, vanilla, black sesame, rose lychee, and matcha - which you can choose to have in a taiyaki - a Japanese fish-shaped waffle cone - or in a cup."

"In the buzz of Chinatown’s Newport Court, it can be hard to settle on just one ice cream spot. But sadly, one ice cream is the socially acceptable amount, so if you do pick one, pick this one. This little Japanese dessert shop specialises in taiyako - a fish-shaped cake filled with things like peanut butter and Nutella - which they even fill with things like their rose lychee soft serve."