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The Great Britain Guide

Historic churches · London

St Leonard's Church, Shoreditch

Free admission

St Leonard's Church, Shoreditch — church in the London Borough of Hackney.

St Leonard's Church, Shoreditch, historic churches in London

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
30 min–1 h
Nearest railway station
Shoreditch High Street · 0.4 km
  • Free entry

About

St Leonard's Church, Shoreditch is a historic church in the United Kingdom. Designed by George Dance the Elder. Built in the Palladian architecture style. Heritage designation: Grade I listed building. Affiliated with Anglicanism. Wikidata describes it as: "church in the London Borough of Hackney". Coordinates: 51.5267°, -0.0772°.

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Heritage listing

St Leonard's, Shoreditch, is the old parish church of Shoreditch, often known simply as Shoreditch Church. It is located at the intersection of Shoreditch High Street with Hackney Road, within the London Borough of Hackney in East London. The current building dates from about 1740 and is Grade I listed. The church is mentioned in the line "'When I grow rich', say the bells of Shoreditch" from the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons.

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

St Leonard's, Shoreditch, is the old parish church of Shoreditch, often known simply as Shoreditch Church. It is located at the intersection of Shoreditch High Street with Hackney Road, within the London Borough of Hackney in East London. The current building dates from about 1740 and is Grade I listed. The church is mentioned in the line "'When I grow rich', say the bells of Shoreditch" from the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons. The crypt beneath the church is the final resting place of many actors from the Tudor period.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

The original church is possibly Anglo-Saxon in origin, and is thought to be built on the site of an Anglo-Saxon predecessor. The first historical reference to it occurs in the 12th century. The church was situated near The Theatre, England's first purpose-built playhouse, built in Shoreditch in 1576, and the Curtain Theatre (built in 1577). Several members of the theatrical profession from the Elizabethan period are buried in the church, including: These, with others of their profession from the period, are commemorated by a large classical memorial erected by the London Shakespeare League in 1913, inside the church, which serves as a reminder of Shoreditch's Shakespearian heritage. The…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.5267, -0.0772
District
Hackney
Parish
Hackney, unparished area
Postcode
E1 6JN
Parliamentary constituency
Hackney South and Shoreditch
Nearest railway station
Shoreditch High Street0.4 km

Sources

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Other works by George Dance the Elder

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Frequently asked questions

Where is St Leonard's Church, Shoreditch?
St Leonard's Church, Shoreditch is in London, United Kingdom (postcode E1 6JN), in the parish of Hackney, unparished area.
Is St Leonard's Church, Shoreditch a listed building?
St Leonard's Church, Shoreditch is officially recognised as Grade I listed building listed.
Is St Leonard's Church, Shoreditch free to visit?
Yes, St Leonard's Church, Shoreditch is free to enter.
How do I get to St Leonard's Church, Shoreditch?
The nearest railway station is Shoreditch High Street, about 0.4 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode E1 6JN.