Guildhall from St Mary Aldermanbury EC2

At the junction of Love Lane and Aldermanbury in the City of London, there is a small park. If you are in the area, it’s well worth a visit.

The parklet is on the site of St Mary Aldermanbury. A large marble plaque tells the history.

Site of the Church of St Mary Aldermanbury 
First mentioned in 1181. Destroyed by the  Great Fire in 1666. Rebuilt by Wren. 
Destroyed by bombing in 1940. The remaining 
fabric removed to Westminster College, Fulton, 
Missouri, USA 1966 and restored as a memorial 
to Sir Winston Churchill. 
This plaque placed by Westminster College.

The plaque has a picture of the restored church:

I sat next to the plaque, under what must have once been the West window. Here is the view, looking South.

Guildhall West Wing, seen from St Mary Aldermanbury, 7″ x 9″ in Sketchbook 9. 17 March 2021

In the foreground of the picture you see ancient stones, which look like the bases of the pillars of the Nave. Evidently not quite all of the church was exported to Fulton, Missouri.

The two flowering trees are magnolia, currently in bud. Between them, on that raised garden, is a bust of Shakespeare, and a memorial to two actors who published Shakespeare’s First Folio.

To the Memory of  
John Heminge and Henry Condell Fellow Actors 
and Personal Friends 
of Shakespeare 
They lived many years in this  parish and are buried here 
--- 
To their disinterested affection 
the world owes all 
that it calls Shakespeare 
They alone collected his dramatic writings 
regardless of pecuniary loss 
and without the hope of any profit gave them to the world 
They thus merited  
the gratitude of mankind

Equally interesting is the inscription below this plaque:

“Given to the Nation by Charles Clement Walker Esq. Lilleshall, Old Hall, Shropshire. AD 1896”

Charles Clement Walker (1822-1897) was a benefactor for various memorials in London, according to this post on the marvellous “London Remembers” site. He was a wealthy civil engineer, employing 400 people in Shropshire.

Near this monument is a tile let into the low wall:

The Aldermanbury 
Conduit
Stood in this street
Providing Free
Water
147-18th Century.

The water for this conduit originally came from the Tyburn river near Bond Street, according to a post in LostCityofLondon.co.uk.

There is much of interest in this small space. Across the road is 10 Aldermanbury. This was built in 2000, by Legal and General as an HQ office for a broker called Flemings. It is now a multi-use office occupied by financial services and consultancy organisations. Do not miss the amazing artwork on the corner. At first I thought it was just a weird artwork. Then I realised it was the building number: 10.

The picture was drawn on location and coloured later. Here is work in progress and maps. I will return to this location, it’s a wonderful tranquil green spot. Recommended.