St Paul's Cathedral, City of London

The cathedral sits on the London Royal Route pilgrimage trail, developed by the British Pilgrimage Trust. It also marks the start of the St Alban Pilgrim Way.

Highlights

• Former site of London saints’ shrines

• Cathedral site for 1,400 years

• Masterpiece of church architecture

Many saints have served the people of London. Nothing is left of their shrines – not even a grave marker in the city’s great cathedral. On the other hand, St Paul’s has several icons prominently displayed, so the saints do have a visible presence.

A famous inscription on the tomb of architect Sir Christopher Wren reads: “If you seek a monument, look around you.” With no specific area given over to London’s saints, the entire building will have to be considered as their memorial too.

Three of London’s early bishops were canonized, but only one had an important shrine in the cathedral. St Erkenwald’s holy body was greatly venerated for 800 years after his death in 693 on 30 April, his saint’s day. Even his horse-drawn carriage was considered an important relic, according to the Venerable Bede (History iv.6). Chips of wood from it were brought to the homes of sick Londoners, effecting miracle cures.

Many English cathedrals have markers to show where such unusual artifacts were once venerated. But the cathedral at St Paul’s was entirely rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren following the Great Fire of London in 1666. The only tombs you can see now belong to later heroes, most famously Admiral Lord Nelson in the center of the crypt.

London had other saintly bishops besides St Erkenwald, but none was buried in this cathedral. One of St Erkenwald’s contemporaries, St Sebbi, was venerated here. He was king of Essex but abdicated to become a monk shortly before his death in 694.

St Alphege, who was martyred at Greenwich in 1012 (page 68), was briefly buried at St Paul’s, but his holy body was moved to Canterbury in 1023. The cathedral’s treasury also housed a large collection of relics by the time of the Reformation, all of which were destroyed.

The dome of the cathedral is one of the world’s highest. It was modeled on St Peter’s in Rome and is often used as a symbol for London itself. Londoners were heartened by the building’s miraculous escape from destruction during the Blitz in the Second World War.

For the record, it must be said that another very famous saint has been linked to this site, unlikely though the story sounds. St Paul himself is said to have preached here, according to medieval legend. Needless to say, the evidence is slim – but just about plausible. St Clement, who knew St Paul personally, wrote that the apostle worked in the ‘very edge of the west’, a phrase commonly used to describe places such as Spain and Britain. Eusebius, writing in the 4th century, tells us that one of the Apostles visited Britain. But unless a missing ‘Letter to the Londoners’ turns up, we will never know for sure.

The earliest saint with a cast-iron connection to this place is St Mellitus, who founded the first cathedral in 604. He later moved to Canterbury and was buried there after his death in 624 (page 44). I spotted an icon of him in the apse facing the east window, in what is now the American Memorial Chapel.

Mention must also be given to John Donne, the supremely talented poet and priest who served as Dean of St Paul’s in the early 17th century. “Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee,” is his most famous quotation. His statue somehow survived the Great Fire of London intact and can be found in the south choir aisle. He is listed in the Anglican church’s calendar of saints and heroes on 31 March, the day he died in 1631.

There were bishops of London before St Mellitus, but almost nothing is known about them. An Archbishop Restitutus of London is recorded as attending the Council of Arles, in 314. We don’t know any more about him or his London cathedral, assuming he had one.

Nowadays London has a bishop rather than an archbishop. The diocese ranks third after Canterbury and York in the Church of England hierarchy. The diocese covers London north of the river (Southwark covers the south).

Directions

Entrance is expensive, although online tickets are a bit cheaper. If seeking a quiet place to sit for a few minutes, you can enter the St Dunstan chapel for free. It is on the left by the ticket desk. St Dunstan (died 988) was yet another bishop of London who ended up at Canterbury.

St Paul’s Cathedral, Saint Paul’s Churchyard, London EC4M 8AD

www.stpauls.co.uk

W3W: intend.zones.closer

GPS: 51.5138N 0.0996W

St Paul’s London Underground station 150m

The cathedral’s main entrance is at the west end. Tickets on the door cost £20 for adults, £8.50 for children, concessions £17.50; cheaper tickets available online.

Opening hours are Monday to Saturday 8:30 am–4 pm (last ticket sale).

The cathedral holds services throughout the day, every day. On Sundays, it is free to enter for worshippers attending services only.

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