Crypts Of London

After the devastation of 1666, the Church of England in the City of London was given fifty-one new buildings in addition to the twenty-four that had survived the Great Fire. During the next hundred years others were built in the two cities of London and Westminster, most with a crypt as spacious as the church above. This book relates the amazing stories of these spaces, revealing an often surprising side to life – and death – inside the churches of historic London. The story of these crypts really began when, against the wishes of architects such as Wren and Vanbrugh, the clergy, churchwardens and vestries decided to earn some money by interring wealthy parishioners in their crypts. By 1800 there were seventy-nine church crypts in London, filled with the last remains of Londoners both illustrious and ordinary. Interments in inner London ended in the 1850s; since then, fifty-two crypts have been cleared, and five partially cleared – in each case resulting in the gruesome business of moving human remains. Today, many crypts have a new life as chapels, restaurants, medical centres and museums. With rare illustrations throughout, this fascinating study reveals the incredible history hidden beneath the churches of our capital. Malcolm Johnson is a retired priest, and has a PhD from King's College, London. His well-received St Martin-in- the-Fields was published by Phillimore in 2005.

After the devastation of 1666, the Church of England in the City of London was given fifty-one new buildings in addition to the twenty-four that had survived the Great Fire. During the next hundred years others were built in the two cities of London and Westminster, most with a crypt as spacious as the church above. This book relates the amazing stories of these spaces, revealing an often surprising side to life – and death – inside the churches of historic London. The story of these crypts really began when, against the wishes of architects such as Wren and Vanbrugh, the clergy, churchwardens and vestries decided to earn some money by interring wealthy parishioners in their crypts. By 1800 there were seventy-nine church crypts in London, filled with the last remains of Londoners both illustrious and ordinary. Interments in inner London ended in the 1850s; since then, fifty-two crypts have been cleared, and five partially cleared – in each case resulting in the gruesome business of moving human remains. Today, many crypts have a new life as chapels, restaurants, medical centres and museums. With rare illustrations throughout, this fascinating study reveals the incredible history hidden beneath the churches of our capital.Malcolm Johnson is a retired priest, and has a PhD from King’s College, London. His well-received St Martin-in- the-Fields was published by Phillimore in 2005.

Takes the reader through the morbid and fascinating world of centuries of London’s past inhabitants.

There is hardly a city in the world with richer historical and cultural assocations than London. It is a place where history has been made for thousands of years, and where it is still being made today. It is not a city frozen in time, preserved in its ancient medieval pomp but a place that has been at or near the centre of national life for a thousand years and at the forefront of international political, cultural and economic history for each of the past five centuries. Here Stephen Inwood, bestselling author of A History of London, and a lifelong student of the city's rich and vibrant history, offers an explorer's guide to London's past. As you walk the streets of the capital, whether you live in the city or are just visiting it, Inwood will show you London's history all around you: stretches of Roman wall; medieval churches and Tudor houses that survived the Great Fire; monastic buildings that survived the Reformation; street markets first established centuries ago that survive today; Georgian streets and squares that were spared the wreckers' ball; Wren churches; Victorian terraces and Inns of Court that survived the Blitz. He takes you to the London of Chaucer and Shakespeare, Samuels Pepys and Johnson; Dickens and Darwin, T.S Eliot and George Orwell. It is the perfect book to have in your pocket or your bag as you go about your business in this most fascinating of cities.

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Whether you want to pose in front of Big Ben, explore the Tower of London, or see the Queen’s home at Buckingham Palace, the local Fodor’s travel experts in London are here to help! Fodor’s London guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time. This new edition has been FULLY-REDESIGNED with an easy-to-read layout, fresh information, and beautiful color photos. GET INSPIRED AN ILLUSTRATED ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES GUIDE to the top things to see and do PHOTO-FILLED “BEST OF” FEATURES on London’s Best Museums, London’s Best Royal Sites, and London’s Best Outdoor Activities COLOR PHOTOS throughout to spark your wanderlust! UP-TO-DATE and HONEST RECOMMENDATIONS for the best sights, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, shopping, performing arts, side-trips, and more GET PLANNING MULTIPLE ITINERARIES to effectively organize your days and maximize your time SPECIAL FEATURES on the British Museum and the Tower of London COVERS: Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the British Museum, the Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe, Hyde Park, Houses of Parliament, and more. GET GOING MORE THAN 15 DETAILED MAPS AND A FREE PULLOUT MAP to navigate confidently TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS AND PRACTICAL TIPS on when to go, getting around, beating the crowds, and saving time and money HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS providing rich context on the politics, art, architecture, cuisine, and more LOCAL WRITERS to help you find the under-the-radar gems Planning on visiting the rest of Great Britain? Check out Fodor’s Essential England, Fodor’s Essential Scotland, and Fodor’s Essential Great Britain. ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor’s has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. For more travel inspiration, you can sign up for our travel newsletter at fodors.com/newsletter/signup, or follow us @FodorsTravel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We invite you to join our friendly community of travel experts at fodors.com/community to ask any other questions and share your experience with us! IMPORTANT NOTE: The digital edition of this guide does not contain all the images or the pull out map included in the physical edition.