Inventory Site Record

There has been a church here from ancient times, with a large churchyard in existence by the C12th. St Dunstan-in-the-East suffered damage in the Great Fire of 1666, after which the shell was repaired by Christopher Wren in 1695-1701, who added the tower and steeple. The church was rebuilt in 1817-21, but destroyed by enemy action in 1941 although the spire was reconstructed in 1953, and the tower later restored in 1970/1. The Corporation of London acquired the ruins in 1967, which with the former churchyard were incorporated into a well-designed garden, which opened to the public in 1971.

Previous / Other name:

St Dunstan in the East Garden, St Dunstan in the East Open Space

Site location:

St Dunstan's Hill/Idol Lane

Postcode:

EC3R 5DD

What 3 Words:

pinch.lasts.nasal

Type of site:

Public Gardens

Borough:

City of London

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

8am - 7pm or dusk if earlier
Has taken part in Open Garden Squares Weekend 11 times, most recently in 2018.

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Events:

Occasional open-air gatherings, parish events, e.g. on Palm Sunday prior to procession to All Hallows along St Dunstan's Hill and Great Tower Street. Has opened for OGSW

Public transport:

Tube: Bank (Central, DLR, Northern, Waterloo & City) / Monument, Tower Hill (Circle, District). Bus: 15, 42, 78, 100, RV1, N15

Citymapper    
Google Map    
streetmap.co.uk

Research updated:

01/05/2010

Last minor changes:

19/07/2023

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.ahbtt.org.uk; www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/openspaces

According to the plaque on the site, a church has been here from ancient times, with a large churchyard by 1193/4. In 1366 the church required rebuilding but the Archbishop had to compel parishioners to contribute to the costs. In 1417 it closed temporarily after a fatal brawl, and in the 1450s a school was set up in the church. The building suffered damage in the Great Fire of 1666, after which the shell of the church was repaired through a private benefactor by Christopher Wren in 1695-1701. Wren re-built the tower and steeple, possibly assisted by Nicholas Hawksmoor. The church was in a bad state by the early C19th and was later rebuilt in 1817-21 by David Laing, but it was destroyed by enemy action in 1941 and little survived although the spire was reconstructed in 1953 and the tower restored in 1970-72 by Seely and Paget Partnership for use as offices.

The Corporation of London had acquired the church ruins in 1967 and these and the former churchyard were incorporated into a well-designed garden on several levels, which includes a circular cobbled area with a central fountain. Unusual trees, shrubs, flowers and climbers grow among the ruined arches and tracery. It was the largest garden to be created by the Corporation of London in the City in the C20th and was opened by the Rt. Hon the Lord Mayor Sir Peter Studd on 21 June 1971. The walls, gates and railings to the churchyard are of the Wren period. The tower and adjoining All Hallows House are now used as a complementary medicine centre and form part of the parish of All Hallows by the Tower (q.v.).

In 2010 the City of London and British Land collaborated in 'Beyond the Hive', an architectural competition to celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity. The design brief called for proposals for 'Insect Hotels': ecologically sustainable and creative insect habitats, and resulted in five finalists. The winning entries were built during June 2010 in 5 public gardens in the City: Bunhill Fields, Cleary Garden, Postman's Park, West Smithfield Garden (q.q.v.) and here in St Dunstan-in-the-East.

Sources consulted:

B Plummer and D Shewan, 'City Gardens', London, 1992; Simon Bradley & Nikolaus Pevsner, 'The Buildings of England, London 1: The City of London', 1997 (1999 ed.); London Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches data

Grid ref:

TQ331807 (533167,180708)

Size in hectares:

0.1526

Site ownership:

City of London Corporation (Church: Church of England, All Hallows by the Tower)

Site management:

City of London Corporation Open Spaces Dept.

Date(s):

C17th; C19th; 1967-71

Designer(s):

1967-71 Garden: Corporation of London Architect's Department

Listed structures:

LBI: Ruin of St Dunstan's Church. LBII: walls, gate and railings to St Dunstan's Church

On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens:

No

Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965:

No

Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931:

No

Local Authority Data

The information below is taken from the relevant Local Authority's planning legislation, which was correct at the time of research but may have been amended in the interim. Please check with the Local Authority for latest planning information.

On Local List:

No

In Conservation Area:

No

Tree Preservation Order:

No

Nature Conservation Area:

No

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

No

Other LA designation:

Strategic View - Consultation Area; Monument Views and Setting

St Dunstan-in-the-East, Remains of the Church, May 2010. Photo: S Williams

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