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!
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Hi Jack, thanks for your posts. I admire your passionate work. I wish I lived in London, for me it is a fascinating city. When I used to live there, for a month, I loved going sightseeing with my London A-Z and discovering places on my own but of course I didn’t have the knowledge you have.
One of my favourite places then was Telegraph Hill on the way to Nunhead Cemetery. To this day I wonder why the name.
Maybe one day you will tell me the story.
Have a good day,
Iwona
Have never heard of The London Stone! Fascinating!
My bucket list grows longer every time you email
Really enjoyed your blog this week keep them coming xxx
I love reading all of these and I’m trying to map out a route around London that I can do checking them off
Amazing what you find amongst all that glass and steel. Thanks, very interesting.
Ever since buying your book i’ve read all of your post’s… you make it so interesting.
As always, fascinating, many thanks. And the book is great!
I love your book. Really interesting, beautifully produced and illustrated. I hope you can produce a volume 2
I just bought your book and I love it! We are coming to London, again, next month, determined this time to see the Fitzrovia Chapel ( it was closed on our last trip) and to go to services at the Royal Hospital. Thanks to your book, I have added pocket gardens ( how clever!) the banks of the Thames and that dohicky that measures the tides of the river. Thank you!!!
Thanks Jack – fascinating read as always. I’m an ex-pat living in Tauranga, New Zealand. I love reading about my hometown.