St Dionis Backchurch
Encyclopedia
St Dionis Backchurch was a parish church in the Langbourn
ward of the City of London
.
in 1666, and rebuilt to the designs of Christopher Wren
in 1674 at a cost of £5737. A tower was added ten years later.
Wren’s church was 66 feet long and 36 feet wide. It had an aisled nave, the arcades formed by Ionic columns supporting an entablature. The ceiling was arched, and pierced with circular windows under groin vaulted openings. There was a west gallery with an organ.
The bell tower was divided into three storeys by string courses. At the top was an open parapet, and a small bell turret which had been removed by the nineteenth century. The church was built mostly of stone, with some brick which was later stuccoed. The east end of the church, in Lime Street had a pediment and two pairs of coupled Ionic pilasters with a large window and carved festoons above.
In 1858, the vestry asked the architect George Edmund Street
to examine the fabric of the church. He found that the church was in need of substantial repairs and recommended that the most economical course of action would be to demolish the whole church except for the tower, and rebuild it to a gothic design of his own. Before the plans could be carried out however, the vestry decided that the church was no longer needed. In 1878 the parish was merged with that of All Hallows Lombard Street under the Union of Benefices Act of 1860 and the church demolished.
While surveying the church, Street discovered that a fifteenth century crypt had survived under the chancel of Wren’s church.
The church had a peal of ten bells, cast between 1726 and 1750. They were transferred to All Hallows Lombard Street when St Dionis was demolished.
A parish mark can be seen in Philpot Lane. The church of St Dionis, Parsons Green was built with the proceeds of the sale of the site of the City church, and its font and pulpit survive there.
The burials were re-inhumed at the City of London Cemetery.
Langbourn
Langbourn is one of the 25 ancient wards in the City of London. It reputably is named after a supposed buried stream in the vicinity.It is a small ward; a long thin area, in shape similar to a left pointing arrow...
ward of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
.
History
The church of St Dionis was dedicated to Dionysus the Areopagite, a follower of St Paul, said to have converted the French to Christianity. He became the patron saint of France, where he is known as St Denis. The name Backchurch may have come from it standing behind other buildings, or from its position relative to the church of St Gabriel. It was in existence by the year 1288. In 1466 the Alderman John Darby had an aisle added, in which he was buried. The church was destroyed in the Great Fire of LondonGreat Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
in 1666, and rebuilt to the designs of Christopher Wren
Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710...
in 1674 at a cost of £5737. A tower was added ten years later.
Wren’s church was 66 feet long and 36 feet wide. It had an aisled nave, the arcades formed by Ionic columns supporting an entablature. The ceiling was arched, and pierced with circular windows under groin vaulted openings. There was a west gallery with an organ.
The bell tower was divided into three storeys by string courses. At the top was an open parapet, and a small bell turret which had been removed by the nineteenth century. The church was built mostly of stone, with some brick which was later stuccoed. The east end of the church, in Lime Street had a pediment and two pairs of coupled Ionic pilasters with a large window and carved festoons above.
In 1858, the vestry asked the architect George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street was an English architect, born at Woodford in Essex.- Life :Street was the third son of Thomas Street, solicitor, by his second wife, Mary Anne Millington. George went to school at Mitcham in about 1830, and later to the Camberwell collegiate school, which he left in 1839...
to examine the fabric of the church. He found that the church was in need of substantial repairs and recommended that the most economical course of action would be to demolish the whole church except for the tower, and rebuild it to a gothic design of his own. Before the plans could be carried out however, the vestry decided that the church was no longer needed. In 1878 the parish was merged with that of All Hallows Lombard Street under the Union of Benefices Act of 1860 and the church demolished.
While surveying the church, Street discovered that a fifteenth century crypt had survived under the chancel of Wren’s church.
The church had a peal of ten bells, cast between 1726 and 1750. They were transferred to All Hallows Lombard Street when St Dionis was demolished.
A parish mark can be seen in Philpot Lane. The church of St Dionis, Parsons Green was built with the proceeds of the sale of the site of the City church, and its font and pulpit survive there.
The burials were re-inhumed at the City of London Cemetery.
See also
- List of Christopher Wren churches in London
- List of churches rebuilt after the Great Fire but since demolished
External links
- www.oldlondonmaps.com - engraving of the 1674 church
- St Dionis Parsons Green - Website of the current church at Parsons Green