St Dunstan's, Stepney

St Dunstan's, Stepney is an Anglican parish church on Stepney High Street, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is one of the oldest church sites in East London, with a history that tradition traces back to the 10th century. Today it is a Grade I listed building and a quiet counterpoint to the modern city around it.

What is St Dunstan's, Stepney?

Tradition holds that in AD 952 St Dunstan, then Bishop of London and Lord of the Manor of Stepney, founded or re-founded the church, replacing an earlier timber building with one of stone. Dunstan later became the patron saint of bell ringers and metalworkers, and also of Stepney itself. After his canonisation, the church took the dedication to St Dunstan and All Saints, which it still carries.

What does the building look like?

The present church is the third on the site. It was built mainly in the fifteenth century from Kentish ragstone, although the chancel is about two hundred years older than the rest. The result is a solid, medieval-looking parish church that stands out among the buildings of the High Street. The churchyard around it is a green pause in a dense urban area.

Why is it called the Church of the High Seas?

Stepney has long been tied to seaborne trade, with sailors, shipwrights and merchants living in the surrounding streets. Because of this, the church became known as the "Church of the High Seas". It is a useful reminder that this part of London grew up around the river and the docks.

What is the history of the parish?

The original parish of Stepney was enormous. At its greatest it covered about seven square miles and ranked among the largest in Europe. Over time, new parishes were carved out of it. Whitechapel was the first, followed by Bow. The churchyard was extended at its southern end in 1626, after about 4,000 plague victims had filled the ancient burial ground.

What happened to the church in modern times?

On 12 October 1901 a fire destroyed the vestries and part of the main building. It also destroyed the organ, which had carvings by Grinling Gibbons. In January 1945, during the Second World War, a V2 rocket hit the north-west corner of the churchyard. The top of the tower was damaged and all the window glass was blown out. The church was repaired and continues to serve its congregation, with an Anglo-Catholic tradition of worship.

Frequently asked questions

Where is St Dunstan's, Stepney? On Stepney High Street, in the Stepney area of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, East London.

Who founded the church? According to tradition, St Dunstan founded or re-founded it in AD 952.

What is St Dunstan the patron saint of? Bell ringers, metalworkers and Stepney.

Is the building protected? Yes, it is Grade I listed.

Is it worth a visit? For anyone interested in the medieval and maritime history of East London, yes. It combines a site with roots in the 10th century, a fifteenth-century building and the story of a parish that once covered much of the East End.