Church of St Andrew

Church of St Andrew, Holborn is a Church of England parish church on the north-western edge of the City of London, standing on Holborn in the Ward of Farringdon Without. It is the largest parish church Sir Christopher Wren built in the City, and one of the quieter historic stops between the legal heart of London and the financial district.

What is the history of St Andrew Holborn?

The site is very old. The earliest written reference is a charter dated to 951, although the authenticity and date of that document are uncertain. The medieval church that stood here survived the Great Fire of London in 1666, reportedly because the wind changed direction at the last moment. It was nevertheless in poor repair, so Wren was commissioned to rebuild it from the foundations. Sources give slightly different dates for the work, with completion placed around 1687 and a rebuilding period of roughly 1684 to 1690.

Why do people visit?

Visitors come mainly for Wren's architecture and for the church's link with some well-known figures and institutions of London history.

• Foundling Hospital. The church is closely associated with Thomas Coram's Foundling Hospital, which he founded for abandoned children in 1741 in a house in nearby Hatton Garden.
• Benjamin Disraeli. Historic England records that the future prime minister was baptised here in 1817, aged twelve. One account adds that the baptism followed his father's anger over a fine imposed by the Bevis Marks synagogue.

What happened during the Second World War?

St Andrew's was badly damaged in 1941. It was rebuilt to Wren's original design and reopened in October 1961, so what you see today is a postwar restoration of a seventeenth-century church. The building is a listed structure and is recorded by Historic England.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the church? On Holborn, on the north-western edge of the City of London, within the Ward of Farringdon Without. It is an easy walk from the Holborn Viaduct area and Hatton Garden.

Who designed it? Sir Christopher Wren, who rebuilt the church after the Great Fire period.

Is it a working church? Yes, it is a Church of England church. Opening hours and services vary, so check the parish information before you go.

Did the church burn in the Great Fire? No. The medieval building survived the fire of 1666, but it was in such a bad state that it was rebuilt anyway.

Is the church original? The design is Wren's, but the building was heavily damaged in 1941 and rebuilt in the 1950s and early 1960s, reopening in 1961.

Is it worth a visit? If you are interested in Wren, in the story of the Foundling Hospital, or in the background of Disraeli, it makes a good short stop while exploring Holborn and the City.