Inventory Site Record

The medieval Tower of All Hallows Staining is all that remains of a church that was on this site from 1218/9. The tower is thought to be that of the second church, enlarged in 1615, which survived the Great Fire in 1666 but collapsed in 1671 probably owing to the weakening of its foundations caused by the large number of burials in the churchyard. Although it was rebuilt in 1674 the church was demolished in 1870, and the site sold to the Clothworkers' Company who restored the tower in 1872/3 when the C12th crypt of Lambe's Chapel was rebuilt here. The Tower is now within a small paved public garden, surrounded by railings.

Previous / Other name:

All Hallows Staining

Site location:

Mark Lane

Postcode:

EC3R 7BB

What 3 Words:

scale.beard.fonts

Type of site:

Public Gardens

Borough:

City of London

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

weekdays

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Events:

Public transport:

Rail: Fenchurch Street. Tube: Aldgate (Metropolitan, Circle)

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Google Map    
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Research updated:

01/05/2010

Last minor changes:

19/07/2023

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

The medieval tower of All Hallows Staining is situated between the Clothworkers' Hall and the north wall of Dunster Court, Minster Lane. The church here dated from 1218/9, and the tower, which is all that remains, was from c1320, thought to be that of the second church on the site. There is a story, unconfirmed, that Princess Elizabeth who enjoyed the sound of the bells while in the Tower, attended this church after her release on 19 May 1554 and gave the church a new bell rope, after which an annual dinner was held on that day, later altered to the date of her accession as Elizabeth I. The church bell, said to be oldest in the City, dated from 1458 and is now in Grocers' Hall, the parish and church having been acquired by the Grocers' Company some time after the Reformation. The church was enlarged in 1615 and although it survived the Great Fire in 1666, it then partially collapsed in 1671 probably owing to the weakening of its foundations caused by the large number of burials in the adjoining churchyard. The church was rebuilt in 1674 but in 1870 it was demolished and the parish amalgamated with that of St Olave Hart Street (q.v.).

The site was sold to the Clothworkers' Company, whose Hall was adjacent to the church, on condition that the medieval tower was preserved in good order. It was restored in 1872-3 when the crypt of Lambe's Chapel was brought here by the Company and placed beneath the tower. The former site of Lambe's Chapel had been by London Wall in Monkwell Street near the current Monkwell Square (q.v.). It was originally the C12th chapel of St James in the Wall, which at the Dissolution of the Monasteries was given in 1543 to William Lambe. Lambe was Master of the Clothworkers' Company in 1569-70, and the chapel was later named after him. Lambe is known for bringing water to that part of London later crossed by Lamb's Conduit Street. The chapel had been demolished and rebuilt in 1825 and one of its brasses survives in St Olave's Hart Street.

Between 1948 and 1954 the Tower of All Hallows Staining formed the chancel of a pre-fabricated church known as St Olave Mark Street that was used following the World War II damage to St Olave Hart Street. The Tower is now within a small paved public garden, which has a number of tombstones.

Sources consulted:

Simon Bradley & Nikolaus Pevsner, 'The Buildings of England, London 1: The City of London', 1997 (1999 ed.); George Godwin & John Britton 'The Churches of London: A history and description of the Ecclesiastical Edifices of the Metropolis, Volume II', London, 1839; history board on site; London Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches data

Grid ref:

TQ332808 (533290,180930)

Size in hectares:

0.0661

Site ownership:

City of London Corporation

Site management:

Open Spaces Dept. Tower and Crypt maintained by the Clothworkers' Company

Date(s):

C13th; C20th

Designer(s):

Listed structures:

LBI: Tower of All Hallows Staining. LBII: Lambe's Chapel Crypt

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:

None

Tower of All Hallows Staining, May 2010. Photo: S Williams

Click a photo to enlarge.