St Paul's Cathedral

There have been several cathedrals in the place where St. Paul’s Cathedral stands today. The first cathedral that is known to have stood here was built in 604 A.D. under Mellitus, who was Bishop of the East Saxons. This cathedral was dedicated to St Paul, but the cathedral only lasted until 675, when it burned down (About St Paul’s). The next cathedral built on the same spot was destroyed by the Vikings. It was replaced by a church, but a fire destroyed that church in 1087. The Normans then began to build what is now known as Old St Paul’s, which took them more than 200 years to completely finish. Old St Paul’s was a truly massive cathedral; it was 690 feet long and the spire was 520 feet high (Ewin 3). Throughout the years, the shortcut of walking through part of Old St Paul’s made it a place where things were sold and advertisements were put up; it was a good place to do business (Ewin 4). Because the cathedral was in such a sorry state, James I had to intervene. He had Inigo Jones, the Royal Surveyor, started the restoration process in 1633 (About St Paul’s). After all the ongoing replacements and improvements, the cathedral had many different styles of architecture combined- Romanesque, early and late Gothic, and the Classical style that Jones included (Burman 21).

At this point in history, Old St Paul’s had passed its high point, and consideration diminished for the Cathedral. During the Commonwealth, the Cathedral was little respected; horses were kept in the chancel and a marketplace was in the nave. When Charles II came back to power, he asked Christopher Wren to make a plan for restoration. This plan was accepted in August 1666, but the Great Fire intervened before the plan was put into action (About St Paul’s). At first it seemed like the Cathedral would be safe; however when the roof caught fire, it set off a chain reaction that would destroy Old St Paul’s. The lead from the roof, the timbers, and the masonry crashed to the floor and smashed the vaulting of the crypt (Burman 34). Also, the heat was so intense that the stones at the base exploded (Museum of London- London’s Burning). The Great Fire of 1666 caused incredible damage, and it was a daunting idea to try and rebuild hundreds of buildings in London.

Wren was appointed as Surveyors of the King’s Works to make plans for the rebuilding efforts. One of Wren’s major projects after the fire was, of course, St Paul’s. In 1668, the demolition of the Old St Paul’s began. In the beginning, Wren used gun power to take down the old cathedral. This was an experimental step, but when neighbors complained about the noise and damage it caused, Wren finished the job with a battering ram (About St Paul’s). Christopher Wren submitted two plans for the new St Paul’s Cathedral, but they are rejected and abandoned. Then in 1675, the third plan that Wren created was approved. It took 35 years for the Cathedral to be complete, which was the first English cathedral to be finished in the architect’s lifetime (About St Paul’s). Although he did not always get his way throughout the building process, he visited the Cathedral throughout his life and when he died, he was buried in the Crypt of St Paul’s, his great masterpiece.

An interesting fact about the Cathedral is that it has charged a fee for visitors since 1709, when it cost two pence. However, this high price to enter did not pay for the building. It was financed through a tax on coal that came into the Port of London. The new St Paul’s cost about £50 million in today’s money (About St Paul’s).

When I visited St Paul’s Cathedral, I felt awed at how massive it felt. The architecture was beautiful and I could easily see why this cathedral was considered to be Christopher Wren’s masterpiece. I enjoyed learning about the different stages and adjustments the Cathedral went through and how the set up changed throughout the years. I especially liked the American Memorial Chapel. I also thought it was interesting to learn about who was buried in the Crypt and learn more about their stories and why they were important to the British people. Although St Paul’s is a beautiful building, that is not all it is. It is full of stories and history that have great meaning to those who take the time to learn about them.

Works Cited

Burman, Peter. St. Paul’s Cathedral. London: Bell and Hyman. 1987.

Ewin, E. T. Floyd. The Splendour of St Paul’s. Norwich: Jarrold and Sons Ltd. 1973.

Museum of London- London’s Burning. Museum of London. 09 Jun 2008. <http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/EventsExhibitions/Special/LondonsBurning/>.

“About St Paul’s.” St Paul’s Cathedral. Dean and Chapter St Paul's. 16 June 2008. <http://www.stpauls.co.uk/page.aspx?pointerid=97320F44yHMK9hndcXZBD5sVH4m52Yc0&thelang=001lngdef>