For over 1,000 years a church has stood on this spot.

Tradition holds that it was originally built by Danes expelled from the City of London by King Alfred in the ninth century.

It is mentioned in William the Conqueror’s Domesday Book (1086) and for nearly 150 years was in the care of the Knights Templar (1170-1312).

The church escaped damage in the Great Fire of London (1666) but was rebuilt in 1681 by Christopher Wren and a steeple was added to the tower by James Gibbs in 1719.

On 10 May 1941 incendiary bombs gutted the building leaving only the walls and tower standing, so ending another chapter in its rich history.