Say St Pancras to most Londoners and they will think of St Pancras station, gateway to Europe. In the Cultural Wednesday household it means St Pancras Old Church where Mr CW’s parents got married. Tucked away behind the more famous train station the old church of St Pancras is well worth exploring.
ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH LONDON
Why Old church? Two reasons ….. first there is a newer St Pancras church on the other side of St Pancras station on the Euston Road. Second St Pancras Old Church is thought to be the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in London. Christians have been worshipping here since the fourth century AD.
Not that the building we see today dates back to the fourth century. Parts of the present day church, well a wall in the nave, dates back to the 11th or 12th century. The pretty bell tower and handsome stonework you see date back to extensive remodelling in 1847.
ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH GRAVEYARD
Old graveyards in London are fascinating places, full of stories. St Pancras Old Church graveyards abounds with literary connections. Mary Wollstonecroft, author of The Vindicaton of the Rights of Woman and mother of Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein) is buried here. Legend has it that is was here that Mary Godwin and Percy Bysshe Shelley planned their elopement whilst visiting her mothers grave.
Charles Dickens mentions St Pancras Old Church graveyard in The Tale of Two Cities, it is named as the location where Jerry Cruncher brings his son to teach him bodysnatching. Whilst Mr Cruncher and son were fictitious bodysnatching was not.
A few years later it was modern technology that disturbed the rest of dead. The outer edges the graveyard lay in the way of the proposed path of the new railway lines. Architect, Arthur Bloomfield was hired to ensure that occupants of the graveyard were removed in suitably decorous manner. Mr Bloomfield delegated the task of sorting out the gravestones to his junior, Thomas Hardy, who is better known now as the author of The Mayor of Casterbridge and Far from the Madding Crowd. Hardy come up with the idea of arranging the displaced stones in concentric circles around a tree, known as ‘The Hardy Tree’.
Architect Sir John Soane is buried here, he designed his own rather fine tomb. I did a double take when I first saw it as I though it looked a little like London’s famous red telephone boxes. Turns out that this is where Sir Giles Gilbert Scott got the inspiration for his iconic telephone box design. Sir Giles was a trustee at the Sir John Soane museum and plainly a big fan.
WHO WAS ST PANCRAS?
Pancras was born in Roman occupied Turkey, when he was very young his parents died and he went to live with an uncle in Rome. In Rome he converted to Christianity but the Emperor Diocletian wasn’t so keen on Christians and embarked on the persecution of them. When he was 14 Pancras was rounded up and asked to make a sacrifice to the Roman gods, he declined. Diocletian was so impressed by his demeanour that he offered him wealth and power if he renounced his faith, still Pancras refused. Enraged Diocletian had him beheaded. His youth at the time of martyrdom led him becoming the patron saint of children.
The cult of St Pancras started when miraculous things started happening around his tomb. At the end of the 6th century Gregory, archbishop of Tours noted that anyone making a false oath around St Pancras tomb would become seized by a demon and die. From then on it was thought that if a witness was to make an oath on the saints bones what they said must be true. Bits of St Pancras body began spreading out across the Chirstian world. It is thought St Augustine bought relics of St Pancras to England.
The Venerable Bede mentions relics of Pancras. He recounts how Pope Vitalian wrote to King Oswiu of Northumberland in 660, or thereabouts, that he was sending relics of St Pancras another Roman saints to England. These were probably used to reconsecrate old Roman churches that had fallen out of use. Should you wish to celebrateSt Pancras day it is May 12th.
St Pancras Old Church is small but very beautiful and its churchyard more interesting than most. Well worth a visit and a special place to remember my parents in law, Marian and Roy.
What a beautiful old church and a lovely reason to visit
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It was a special day
I never realised there was a church behind St Pancras station and what a pretty church it is too. Will have to go and explore next time I’m in the area 🙂
I love visiting old places!
Looks like a lovely place for your in-laws to be and for you to visit them at
What a lovely old church! I must have walked close by it dozens of times without ever realising it was there.
Fantastic photos! That’s such a beautiful church and would be a very special place to get married.
I’m someone who loves to visit graveyards (which sometimes gets the odd comment) but I think they are fascinating places full of history and stories to tell. I think it’s lovely that you chose to visit for the anniversary. Thanks for sharing 😀
I’ve been to St Pancras hundreds of times but never noticed this church. It’s a wonderful find & looks very peaceful despite being so close to the station.
I love reading about new finds in London. It’s beautiful and I’m sure a very fitting place for your inlaws to get married
xx
#SundayPhoto
Hi Catherine, old English churches do ooze character and it’s lovely that you have a place you can remember your In-Laws too. I remember reading Lark Rise To Candleford and Far from the Maddening Crowd at school, I don’t ever remember being taught the Thomas Hardy was also an architect! Just goes to show we are never too old to learn something new!
xx
What a lovely idea to trace family history by visiting this church #MySundayPhoto
This looks like a proper old style English church
Thank you for linking up
What a lovely church (and post in general). I had no idea that Hardy did that. Love your new blog look too.
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Thank you! It still needs tinkering around the edges but I’m very excited, lots of new widgets to play with
As ridiculous as it might seem it never occurred to me that there was even one St Pancras church let alone 2! what an amazing little piece of literary history, linked to Hardy and Wollstonecraft. I can’t believe it’s in central London, it looks so rural. #mysundayphoto
Wow what a stunning church and a beautiful altar too. I’m trying to imagine a young couple taking their vows there. It’s our wedding anniversary on the 4th July too 🙂
What a great way to remember Marian and Roy. I’ve been to St Pancras several times and never knew of the existence of the old church. London really does have so many hidden gems!
I love exploring grave yards and touches – so peaceful when there is no people around 😉 x #mysundayphoto
Fascinating blog post, Catherine. I had no idea the church was there. Love the Thomas Hardy connection. Will definitely have to visit next time I get to London.
What a lovely way to remember your parents! Looks like a much more adorable church they got married in than my parents! I still remember that god awful browny-orange carptet…. haha #CityTripping Stumbled
PS. Your new blog look is fantastic!!
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Thank you! We were stunned by just how rural the church felt given that it is slap bang in the centre of London
What a beautiful church! I also love ancestry travel! #citytripping
I didn’t realise Thomas Hardy was an architect. Churches teach us so much more than just religion. I’ll have to pop in next time I’m near St Pancras.
#citytripping
I love how many layers of history there always are in London – to have so many links to different historical names in one relatively small church. Thanks for linking up with #citytripping
Lovely! I had no idea this was there! I guess like many people I just head into St. Pancras and go on my way… next time I’m allowing time to see this! #citytripping
Well, here I am again, reading this lovely post, and realizing that once again I went into St. Pancras, and forgot about this church. I am going to pin this to my London board so I hopefully will NOT forget next time I find myself in town… #farawayfiles
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All spruced up for SEO and with added facts this time!
I liked it! Wish I could get better at SEO, but admit it eludes me…
This is a fascinating post. I MUST visit. I completely get what you mean about Sir John Soane tomb looking like a phone box. #Farawayfiles
I work in London and I am always looking for new things to see and do so I am glad I have discovered your blog as it looks like you have quite a few ideas that I can use on my commute and lunch break. Thank you #farawayflies
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Thank you that’s made my evening!
This is one of my favorite things to do – combine my love for visiting old churches but also have some ancestry research too.
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I love visiting places that have connections to my forebears, always sends shivers down my spine!
Aww how lovely to visit a special place like this. #FarawayFiles
So much history and what an incredible cemetery. As an Australian living in Europe I am in awe of sites like this, with tangible tales. Sure, Australia has many sacred Indigenous sites, but so much of Australia’s ancient history is transient and oral history passed down through generations.
I didn’t know there was a church behind St Pancras station!! Such a great church and altar” .Will have to go and explore next time I’m near!
I had no idea this was the oldest church in London. Loved the post!
Wonderful post, Catherine. I’ll be dropping the Telephone Box / Tomb Fact Bomb at every available opporunity.
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One of my favourite factoids!
I really enjoyed this post, Catherine. I live quite near St Pancras old church and I keep promising myself that I’ll down and have a good look around. This time, I really shall!
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It took Mr CW decades to visit and he had a really good reason to!