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Christ Church, Spitalfields Review

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Christ Church, Spitalfields

Address: Commercial St., East End, London, E1 6QE | Map It
Phone: 020/7377-2440

Category: Religious Sites
Location: East End

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Fodor's Review:

This is the 1729 masterpiece of Sir Christopher Wren's associate Nicholas Hawksmoor. Hawksmoor built only six London churches; this one was commissioned as part of Parliament's 1711 "Fifty New Churches Act." The idea was to score points for the Church of England against such nonconformists as the Protestant Huguenots. (It must have worked; in the churchyard, you can still see some of their gravestones, with epitaphs in French.) As the local silk industry declined, the church fell into disrepair, and by 1958 the structure was crumbling, with the looming prospect of demolition. But after 25 years—longer than it took to build—and a huge local effort to gather funds, the structure has been completely restored and is a joy to behold, from the colonnaded portico and tall spire to its bold, strident baroque-style interior. As a concert venue it truly comes into its own. If you're lucky enough to be in town during the Spitalfields Festival held every summer and winter, then don't miss the chance to attend a classical concert in this atmospheric ecclesiastical venue.

Open: Tues. 11-4, Sun. 1-4
Tube: Aldgate East

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