St Bartholomew-the-Great

This spectacular Norman church dates from 1123, originally a part of the monastery of Augustinian Canons, but becoming the parish church of Smithfield in 1539 when King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries. The authentic Norman arches, the weathered and blackened stone, the dark wood carvings and the low lighting lend this space an ancient calm – especially as you’ll often be the only visitor. There are historical associations with William Hogarth, who was baptised here, and with politician Benjamin Franklin, who worked on site as an apprentice printer. The church sits on the corner of the grounds of St Bart’s Hospital, on the side closest to Smithfield Market. Another selling point for modern audiences is that scenes from Shakespeare in Love and Four Weddings and a Funeral were filmed here. The location managers for those movies knew what they were doing: St Bartholomew-the-Great is indeed one of the capital’s most atmospheric places of worship.