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St Anne's, Limehouse is one of
several East End of churches created by Nicholas Hawksmoor,
who was Sir Christopher Wren's most talented pupil.
The splendid Baroque church,
probably Hawksmoor's most dramatic creation, was built between
1714 - 1725 in what were then open fields.
The immense size of the church
is a reflection on the importance of Limehouse. Its
great tower soon became a landmark for ships using the East
End docks. The clock tower is the second highest in
Britain after Big Ben and was built by the same makers.
In 1850 the church was seriously
damaged by fire. Whilst the building was being restored
the interior was 'Victorianized' by the architect Philip Hardwick.
The finest and least altered
Victoria organ built for the church by Grey and Davison won
the organ medal in the Great Exhibition of 1851.
St. Anne’s suffered little during
World War II although the surrounding area was enormously
affected.
Through the 80s and 90s the church
benefited from exterior renovation and landscaping.
The interior phase of the restoration
programme has begun and visitors can compare a Victorian restoration
with a present day restoration along the lines of Hawksmoor’s
original design
Admission free
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