Metropolitan Tabernacle

Metropolitan Tabernacle is a Baptist church in Elephant and Castle, south London, and one of the best-known nonconformist congregations in the city. Its most recognisable feature is the classical portico, which has survived two disasters that destroyed the rest of the building.

What is the Metropolitan Tabernacle?

It is an Independent Reformed Baptist church whose congregation traces its beginnings to 1650. It is not a museum, but a working place of worship, and the current pastor is Peter Masters. For visitors, it is most interesting as a piece of London's religious and architectural history, a short walk from the busy Elephant and Castle junction.

Why is it historically important?

By 1861 the congregation had grown into the largest nonconformist church of its day. Its first pastor was William Rider. Later preachers included Benjamin Keach, John Gill and John Rippon, and then Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the Victorian preacher whose name is most strongly linked with the place. Spurgeon also founded a college for preachers and church workers, today known as Spurgeon's College, as well as orphanages for girls and boys.

The choice of site was not accidental. Spurgeon's supporters selected the Elephant and Castle location partly because three Protestants, the Southwark Martyrs, had been burnt at the stake in this area in 1557.

What does the building look like?

The original hall was designed by William Willmer Pocock and dedicated on 18 March 1861, although some sources give an earlier start of construction, around 1859. Its defining element was, and still is, the large classical portico at the front.

The building has been through several reconstructions:

• 1898: a fire destroyed the church, but the portico was spared and the church was rebuilt.
• May 1941: an incendiary bomb destroyed the rebuilt part. Again the portico remained.
• 1959: the church was rebuilt behind the portico to a new design, with a reduced capacity of 1,750 seats.

How do I get there and what should I see?

The church stands at Elephant and Castle, so the easiest approach is via the transport interchange there. The portico is the part most easily admired from outside, and it is even visible looking west from the platform at Elephant and Castle station.

Frequently asked questions

Can I go inside? It is an active church, so access depends on services and events. Reliable details on opening hours or tours were not available, so check the church's official website before planning a visit.

Who was Spurgeon? C. H. Spurgeon was the best-known pastor of the congregation in the nineteenth century and the founder of the college and orphanages connected with it.

Is the building original? Only partly. The portico dates from the original 1861 building, while the rest was rebuilt after the 1898 fire, the 1941 bombing and again in 1959.

How old is the congregation? It was formed in 1650, which makes it one of the oldest Baptist communities in London.