St Swithin’s Churchyard: A Secret Garden In The City

I love stumbling across hidden gardens in the City of London. This one really is pretty hidden. Opposite Cannon Street Station is a little side street called Salter’s Hall Court.

At the end, tantalisingly, you see a gate and some steps leading to a little pocket of greenery. 

St Swithin’s Churchyard Garden

It is St Swithin’s Churchyard Garden and, as the name suggests, was once the churchyard of the now lost St Swithin’s church.

A church dedicated to St Swithin was first recorded on the site in the 13th century. 

St Swithin was a 9th century Anglo-Saxon bishop of Winchester who later became the patron saint of Winchester Cathedral. 

The medieval church burnt down in the Great Fire of 1666 and was subsequently rebuilt to the designs of Sir Christopher Wren. 

The church was largely destroyed on the night of the 29th December 1940, sometimes referred to as the Second Great Fire of London. The City was very heavily hit that night with over 100,000 incendiary bombs dropped by the Luftwaffe. A huge fire broke out and, heartbreakingly, a total of 18 city churches were lost.

St Swithin’s, sadly, was not one chosen to be rebuilt after the war and the remains were removed in 1962. Modern office blocks were built on the site.

What to Spot Today

Thankfully the churchyard was retained and turned into a public garden, re-landscaped in 2010. It is very much tucked into a gap, with towering modern blocks surrounding it on all sides.

You will find this gravestone to a merchant called Nathaniel Thornton:

And this memorial:

It is a memorial to Catrin Glyndŵr, who was buried here in 1413 with two of her children.

She was the wife of Sir Edmund Mortimer; a nobleman who participated in rebellions against King Henry IV. The 15 year campaign to get the English out of Wales was led by Catrin’s father Owain Glyndŵr.

Catrin was taken hostage by the English in 1409, imprisoned in the Tower of London and then died mysteriously.

The 10 foot high memorial by Nic Stradlyn-John and Richard Renshaw was unveiled on Glyndwr’s Day, 16th September 2001. It is dedicated to women and children who suffer in war. 

The Connection To The Mysterious London Stone

If you head back onto Cannon Street you will see, behind its protective window, the mysterious lump of rock known as the ‘London Stone’.

What Is the London Stone?

The London Stone is a curious artefact. It is a block of oolitic limestone of possibly ancient origins and is the subject of many legends and origin stories. The first known references to it were in the 12th century. 

It is thought to have possibly been a milestone in Roman London or perhaps a stone from the Roman governor’s palace.

Another theory is that it was a monument, or part of a monument, used by Alfred the Great to mark the centre of a new streetscape when he reestablished London in 886AD. Some even think that it was a pre-Roman druidic sacrificial altar. 

Either way, it was clearly significant in the medieval period as buildings were often described as being ‘near London stone’.

In 1450 Jake Cade, who was leading a rebellion against King Henry VI, marched into London and struck his sword against the stone, announcing himself as Lord of the city. 

It is also said to be the ‘heart of London’ and that if it were ever destroyed London would fall…

St Swithin’s, London Stone

The church was later known as ‘St Swithin’s, London Stone’, due to the fact that the London Stone was located on the other side of Candlewick Street, later Cannon Street. 

In 1720 it was moved to the North side of the street by the church door and in the 1820s it was encased in an alcove in the side of the church.

In conclusion: it is incredible what you can find in London by following your nose and heading down seemingly boring side streets!

You can find the garden and stone here:

Thank you for reading, more of London’s hidden history below!