| St Paul's | |
|---|---|
| Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle | |
.jpg) Aerial view of the St Paul's Cathedral | |
 Interactive fullscreen map | |
| 51°30′50″N 0°05′54″W / 51.5138°N 0.0983°W OS grid TQ 320 811 | |
| Location | London, EC4 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | stpauls.co.uk |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Consecrated | 1697 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I Listed |
| Previous cathedrals | 4 |
| Architect(s) | Sir Christopher Wren |
| Style | English Baroque |
| Years built | 1675–1710 |
| Groundbreaking | 1675 |
| Completed | 1710 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 518 ft (158 m) |
| Nave width | 121 ft (37 m) |
| Width across transepts | 246 ft (75 m) |
| Height | 365 ft (111 m) |
| Dome height (outer) | 278 ft (85 m)[1] |
| Dome height (inner) | 225 ft (69 m)[2] |
| Dome diameter (outer) | 112 ft (34 m)[citation needed] |
| Dome diameter (inner) | 102 ft (31 m)[2] |
| Number of towers | 2 |
| Tower height | 221 ft (67 m)[2] |
| Administration | |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Diocese | London (since 604) |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) | Sarah Mullally |
| Dean | Andrew Tremlett |
| Precentor | Phillip Banks |
| Chancellor | Paula Gooder (lay reader) |
| Canon Treasurer | vacant |
| Laity | |
| Director of music | Andrew Carwood |
| Organist(s) | James Orford[3] |
St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London. Its dedication in honour of Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604.[4] The present structure, which was completed in 1710, is a Grade I listed building that was designed in the English Baroque style by Sir Christopher Wren. The cathedral's reconstruction was part of a major rebuilding programme initiated in the aftermath of the Great Fire of London.[5] The earlier Gothic cathedral (Old St Paul's Cathedral), largely destroyed in the Great Fire, was a central focus for medieval and early modern London, including Paul's walk and St Paul's Churchyard, being the site of St Paul's Cross.
The cathedral is one of the most famous and recognisable sights of London. Its dome, surrounded by the spires of Wren's City churches, has dominated the skyline for over 300 years. At 365 ft (111 m) high, it was the tallest building in London from 1710 to 1963. The dome is still one of the highest in the world. St Paul's is the second-largest church building in area in the United Kingdom, after Liverpool Cathedral.
Services held at St Paul's have included the funerals of Admiral Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher; jubilee celebrations for Queen Victoria; an inauguration service for the Metropolitan Hospital Sunday Fund;[6] peace services marking the end of the First and Second World Wars; the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer; the launch of the Festival of Britain; and the thanksgiving services for the Silver, Golden, Diamond, and Platinum Jubilees and the 80th and 90th birthdays of Queen Elizabeth II. St Paul's Cathedral is the central subject of much promotional material, as well as of images of the dome surrounded by the smoke and fire of the Blitz.[7] The cathedral is a working church with hourly prayer and daily services. The tourist entry fee at the door is £25 for adults (January 2024) but no charges are made to worshippers attending services, or for private prayer.[8]
The nearest London Underground station is St Paul's, which is 130 yards (120 m) away from St Paul's Cathedral.[9]
- ^ "Explore our map". St Paul's Cathedral. The Golden Gallery. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
The Golden Gallery is the smallest of the galleries and runs around the highest point of the outer Dome, at 85 metres.
- ^ a b c Ward Lock & Co., Limited (1914). A Pictorial and Descriptive Guide to London and Its Environs (Thirty-Eighth Edition—Revised ed.). London: Ward Lock & Co., Limited. p. 209. OCLC 437623827. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
- ^ "James Orford appointed as new organist of St Paul's Cathedral". St Paul's Cathedral. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ Hibbert et al. 2011, p. 778.
- ^ Gardner, Kleiner & Mamiya 2004, p. 760.
- ^ The London Standard 10 June 1873 page 6
- ^ Pierce 2004.
- ^ "Sightseeing, Times & Prices". Stpauls.co.uk. The Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral. Archived from the original on 29 January 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- ^ "St. Paul's Cathedral". Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2020.