All Hallows London Wall

All Hallows is clearly shown abutting the city wall in Civitas Londinum (the ‘Agas map’) from about 1561.

From the third century, during Roman times, until it was mostly (and gradually) demolished in the 18^th century, the City of London was surrounded by a defensive wall. On the inside of the northern stretch of the wall ran a road that became known simply as London Wall. At some point in time, perhaps in the 12^th century, a church was built abutting the inside of the wall, on an east-west alignment, taking advantage of the defensive structure to form the north wall of the church. It was located immediately to the west of Broad Street (now Old Broad Street). The church was dedicated to All Saints, or All Hallows (‘hallow’ meaning a holy person). The earliest record of All Hallows was in about 1130. Having to fit into the space between the city wall and the street, All Hallows has always been a long and narrow building. In its earliest times it was linked with Holy Trinity priory at Aldgate.

In the 1260s the large friary of Austin Friars was established in that part of the City, covering over five acres, with its northern perimeter immediately across the street of London Wall. (Austin Friars was dissolved by Henry VIII in November 1538). The friary did not form part of the parish of All Hallows. Instead, it divided the parish into two sections to the east and west of the friary. The hall of the Tylers’ livery company stood within the eastern part, and Carpenters’ Hall and Leathersellers’ Hall in the western section.

During the Middle Ages Hermits known as ‘anchorites’ lived in cells built into the city wall overlooking the church. In 1514 Wynkyn de Worde, the early printer, published the book ‘The Fruyte of Redempcyon’ by one of the anchorites, Symon the Anker.

In his ‘Survey of London’ of 1598 John Stow refers to All Hallows by its variant name and mentions that in earlier times there was a bridge across the Walbrook stream close to the church:

…that the prior of Holy Trinity within Aldgate ought to make over Walbrook in the ward of Broadstreet, against the stone wall of the city, viz. the same bridge that is next the Church of All Saints, at the wall.

Semicircular windows high up along the north and south walls ensure that the interior is well-lit. Unusually, the pulpit is half-way along the nave.

All Hallows survived the Great Fire but fell into disrepair. It was demolished in 1764 and rebuilt the following year in Neoclassical style by George Dance the Younger, with plain brown brick walls on the exterior and a projecting tower in Portland Stone with a Tuscan doorway and delicate cupola. The foundation stone was laid in 1765 by Lord Mayor Sir John Rawlinson and it was consecrated in 1767. In those times the street was quite narrow, hemmed in by buildings on the opposite side. Lacking a clear view from afar, Dance wasted nothing on exterior ornamentation, creating instead a blank brick wall along the south side.

Dance was the successful candidate from five who were asked to submit designs. He was then only 24 years old and it was his first big commission. His design for All Hallows is said to have been partly influenced by the Temple of Venus in Rome, which he would have recently witnessed while there for architectural studies. Dance later succeeded his father as Architect and Surveyor of the City Corporation. Amongst other projects, he was responsible for the rebuilding of Newgate Prison and the frontage of the Guildhall.

The chandelier was given by a parishioner in 1766.

The interior of All Hallows is in stark contrast to the severe exterior. It is small and narrow, but elegant and graceful, with a highly ornamental rounded apse at the east end, and a white barrel-vaulted plaster ceiling on Ionic columns. The altar-piece is a copy of Pietro di Cortona’s 17^th century painting ‘Ananias Restoring Paul to Sight’, which was gifted to the church by Dance’s half-brother, Nathaniel Dance-Holland. The vestry is built onto one of the city wall bastions. Below the west gallery at the rear of the nave are hollow Tuscan columns, possibly containing cast iron columns for support work.

The north wall is built on the solid foundations of the city wall. Those of the south wall are less solid and the building has tended to sink slightly on the street side, which can be witnessed by the slant of the top of the entrance door to the nave.

All Hallows was substantially damaged by bombing in 1941 yet it nevertheless continued in regular use. During 1960-62 various changes were made by David Nye. For centuries the building was largely hidden from view, with only its stuccoed western entrance visible. On its north side was the medieval City wall, while hemmed in by buildings on its street side. However, the south wall is now easily seen from the street of London Wall.

A section of the ancient wall can still be seen alongside the small garden in front of the church on its west side. Different brick and stonework indicate successive levels of heightening, with the lowest strata probably from the Roman era.

The parish of All Hallows was amalgamated into that of St. Botolph Bishopsgate and it continues as a Guild church. The office of All Hallows behind the church serves as the main base of XLP, which works with disadvantaged young people in London to combat poverty and gang violence.

With thanks to Peter Lunoe, a Friend of City Churches watcher. You can find Friends of the City Churches here