6 St Paul’s Cathedral

www.stpauls.co.uk

The Mother Church of the Diocese of London and the supreme work of Sir Christopher Wren, one of the world’s great architects.

Work began on the present St Paul’s Cathedral after the Great Fire of 1666 had destroyed its predecessor, Old St Paul’s. Its foundation stone was laid by Christopher Wren in 1675 and after 35 years of sweat and toil (during which time Wren’s salary was halved as punishment for slow progress) it was completed in 1710. Take time to enjoy the magnificent west front before entering the church. Inside it is surprisingly light and airy, largely as a result of the use of plain glass windows (much favoured by Wren), which were installed to replace the old stained glass ones that were destroyed during World War II.

Go past the huge monument to the Duke of Wellington and stop in the middle of the transepts to look skywards to the wonderful dome – one of the three largest in the world. Move on to the choir, the most lavishly decorated part of the church, and don’t miss the scorch-marked statue of John Donne (poet and Dean of Old St Paul’s). This is one of London’s very few monuments to survive the Great Fire of 1666.

Descend to the crypt, where you will find the tombs of some of Britain’s greatest heroes, including the Duke of Wellington and Lord Nelson, and, of course, Christopher Wren himself. Return to the church and begin the ascent to the galleries. The justifiably famous Whispering Gallery, whose remarkable acoustics will carry a whisper quite audibly from one side to the other, is perched 30m (98ft) above the floor. Finally, after a total of 530 steps, you will reach the Golden Gallery, where you will be rewarded with one of the finest views in all London. Return to the cathedral floor and contemplate William Holman Hunt’s uplifting masterpiece, The Light of the World.

Map Reference 20K St Paul’s Churchyard 020 7236 4128 Mon–Sat 8:30–4:30 (last admission 4) Expensive, includes cathedral, crypt and climbing galleries Restaurant (£); café in crypt (£) St Paul’s 4, 11, 15, 23, 26, 100 St Paul’s, City Thameslink Self-guided audio tours, 90-min guided tours