Essay on The History of Five Churches in London

At the beginning of Henry VIII’s reign in 1509, there were over 800 monasteries in England, but by 1540 the majority of these ceased to exist and all that was left of most of them was a ruin. The monasteries were rich and powerful institutions which were loyal to the Pope. From 1536 to 1539, Henry VIII, and his advisor, Thomas Cromwell wanted to close down the monasteries. There were two real reasons why Henry VIII wanted to get rid of the monasteries, firstly because he wanted access to the wealth of the monastery and he wanted the treasures of the land owned by the Church. Secondly Henry VIII

The medieval cathedral was physically integrated into the town. Houses crowded up to its very walls and "lean-to's" were built right against them. In the city, the tower cathedral, was the medieval forerunner of the skyscraper, but unlike its modern counterpart, it subsumed a number of functions. At one moment or another, therefore the medieval church could serve civic, communal, and commercial purposes (Branner, Robert, ed., Chartres Cathedral, W.W. Norton, New York, 1969, p. 69). However it was first and foremost a religious building. Although in modern times it served primary as a place of worship.

England has a long history of periodic architecture and aside from recent war damage and the destruction during the Dissolution of the Monasteries Acts in the 16th century by Henry VIII, much of its historic legacy remains intact.

During the time period design of cities and how they were built and what they were built of always had some risk to it, the cities of the time they were closely packed built of wood and other flammable materials. Which was the exact reason London and everything around it was burned to the ground the way it was. After the fire was put out it was time to make some changes and that is when the “Rebuilding Act of 1667 outlawed timber buildings; all structures were to be built of brick or stone” (“The Great Fire of London” 3). This law put in place would change the world for when old cities were taken down and rebuilt this rebuilding act would dictate what they were made of and how the buildings were placed. It moved the world a step closer becoming what it is today moving away for old traditions and ways of building. It created in a sense a building revolution for large cities around the world. With all the damage that was done people were low on money and lost almost anything they could not get out of their homes in time. Now and days people turn to a system called insurance to regain lost money. So people were looking for a way to get back on their feet but “the fire destroyed more than 13,000 homes at a time when insurance did not exist” (Davies n.page). Which the idea of insurance at the time

The Churches held town meetings, guild meetings, and town council sessions (Gies, 291). It also became the main provider for civic administration, education, and law. “Tithes, were a form of taxation, but it was used to pay for church management, public services, hospitals, and schooling” (Cavendish, 649). Every person would pay taxes and abide by the church’s laws (mnsu.edu). The church added new religious and ethical concept and gave people new moral responsibilities (Funk & Wagnall’s).

St. Alfege church in Greenwich. But the church was rebuilt in 1712 through 1714. When

In Northern Europe, however, Protestant artists created simple images of people, places, and things. Architecture was not disregarded – when many medieval churches in London was burned down in 1666, Sir Christopher Wren, an English artist in the 17th century, was asked by the Protestants to rebuild them. Because he had to build the churches in between crowded commercial sites, he built the churches tall with

For the early gothic, we can use the Notre-Dame in Paris and the Laon Cathedral as an example. Notre-Dame in Paris is the most famous of the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages built in France. Notre-Dame and Laon are both designed shortly before 1160. The planning of Notre-Dame was described as “staggered and tired spaces extending” (1) The similarities between early Gothic in France and England is they both have large nave, two side aisle and two transepts. In early English cathedral, the transepts are usually extended out as an additional space on the sides.

After the Great Fire, parts of the remains of Old St Paul’s were patched up as a temporary cathedral. The structure, however, was in a very bad shape, and in May 1668, after a fall of the remains of the building materials fell; Wren was asked to submit proposals for a new cathedral. Wren’s first proposal, “The First Model”, was quickly neglected, because it was said to be too modest. His second proposal was a mimic of the Greek cross. It was a classical style of the Italian Renaissance, it was centrally planned, and the main interior space was set beneath an enormous dome, and auxiliary spaces were located around the sides. But the clergy, who were only familiar with cathedrals whose designs, were Romanesque or Gothic, and were not familiar to classical architecture in his design, quickly through out the new design. His third design, “The Warrant Design”, was still classical architecture, but it was based on the criticisms of the Greek cross design. The plan was longitudinal, the nave and choir were bordered by lower aisles, and the towers and spire suggested the shape of medieval England. This design was approved by King Charles II, but Wren

the age of members and church location and size to validate, changes in the church. The census

If you’ve ever wanted to see buildings straight out of a fairytale with twisting spires and amazingly intricate details, then the Stave Churches of Norway are for you. In the Middle Ages there were over a thousand Stave Churches but they were destroyed over time, now only twenty eight remain (Stave Church - See).

All over the world, people still come to admire the beauty of European cathedrals. Many of the cathedrals are fragile due to age, neglect, pollution, and insufficient funds available to restore these historical and magnificent buildings. Nevertheless, visitors to these architectural masterpieces are fascinated by the design and structure of these churches. The cathedral builders using their own ingenuity, expertise, and limited resources were able to defy the laws of gravity and time. (Icher 30)

When Queen Mary came to the throne she made the Church of England become catholic, she killed any protestants who stood against the church. Queen Elizabeth however let the people believe what they want, but that started a naval battle, England / Spain had a naval battle. Spain used to have the best navy in the world! Until England crushed them in the naval battle. It’s obvious that the Church of England is different to the other churches in many ways.

Some words that would be helpful to know as these churches are being described, which will be quoted

The Tower of London is one of the most famous and visited historic monuments in the world. For some people it conjures up images of Norman architecture and towering battlements, but most associate it with arms and armour, ravens, the Crown Jewels, Yeoman Warders, imprisonment, death and ghostly apparitions. But this does not do it justice: the history of the Tower and its buildings is a vast, fascinating and complex subject, intertwined with the history of the country of England, its government, its kings and queens, and its people and institutions. The castle's first four centuries, during the Middle Ages, saw the development of the layout of buildings that we know today and its