St. Vedast alias Foster

The first documentary evidence of the church of St. Vedast is from the 12th century. It is dedicated to St. Vedast, the Bishop of Arras who died in 540AD in Belgium. His name is Vaast in Flemish or Gaston in French, which became corrupted in English to Foster, hence the somewhat confusing name of the church. It stands in Foster Lane, almost on the corner with Cheapside and just a stone’s throw from St. Paul’s Cathedral. It was one of thirteen churches in the City under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury, as it continued to be until the 19^th century.

The building was destroyed in the Great Fire, except for the walls and the base of the tower. It was initially patched up by the parish, but eventually rebuilt by Wren, following the same plan as before the fire, and completed in 1701. The tower is topped with a handsome steeple, one of the few of Wren’s built in stone. There was much damage during the Blitz, although the tower, steeple and walls survived. Repairs by Stephen Dykes-Bower were completed in 1963 using some furnishings from churches that were not rebuilt.

The lower parts of the interior contain much dark woodwork that contrasts with the upper white walls. It has collegiate-style seating, with a south aisle divided by Tuscan columns to form a separate chapel. The floor is black and white marble, and the ceiling is richly decorated in gold leaf. The reredos are from St. Christopher le Stocks church, which was demolished in 1781. Some remains of the medieval church are incorporated into the building. In the small Fountain Court cloister to the side of the main building is a preserved section of Roman tessellated pavement that was discovered in 1886 when St. Matthew Friday Street was demolished.

The parish of St. Vedast is an amalgamation of fourteen once separate parishes, incorporating those of churches that no longer exist or others that are no longer parish churches.