Lovely. I just wish you could take photos inside…read more I liked the chapel as a walk-through experience better than the castle itself and the royal apartments and rooms. It is beautiful inside and out, with a few very notable dead royals buried and memorialized there. You will get more out of it as well if you have waited and gotten one of the free audio guides at the entrance.

The visit is included with the admission ticket to Windsor Castle and I would recommend booking in…read moreadvance as lines can be very long and you may not get an entry depending on the time you show up at the entrance. Also included is an audio commentary (in your choice of language), each explanation is around one minute long, perfect to understand what you are looking at. Make sure you check the website for opening hours as some days the castle is open but the chapel is closed and they tend to end the visits early afternoon. Inside, the chapel is a lot more impressive than I expected, much bigger and more like a mini cathedral. Another way to discover it (although you don't see as much) is to attend one of the services sung by the chapel choir, and accompanied by the organ. When we went, the service was happening at 5:15 pm on a Sunday, we had to wait at the gate around 5 pm and it ended at about 6pm. Surprisingly, it was not crowded and it's free. It was an impressive experience, the voices of the singers so powerful and beautiful. Whether you go to the service or not (I recommend you do!), St George's Chapel is worth a visit!

One of the few remaining mediaeval buildings in the city of London, St. Olave's church is a Church…read moreof England sanctuary and is also the final resting place of a certain Samuel Pepys (and his wife). With a rich history - it's origins date back as early as 1056 - this is a fascinating church. From Viking invaders to narrowly missing the Great Fire of London to Samuel Pepys' the parishioner and being damaged in the Blitz. A lot has happened to this small church but it's still here. The Reverend (who's name escapes me but he's a very nice man) enjoyed telling us all of this as an introduction to the building and to put in greater context the real reason we were all congregated there - a concert, not a service. A motet about the diaries of Samuel Pepys. The venue making greater sense now and indeed they complement each other. Great acoustics in this squared-ish church and the sound doesn't get lost as there isn't enough church for the sound to become lost in. This leads me to believe that regular church services and worship would also ring well in here but I can't account for that. With numerous statues and intrinsic sculpted work on the décor, as well as a large plaque featuring Mr Pepys high up on a wall where a balcony once sat - and, indeed, where the real Pepys regularly sat. There's also a crypt down some narrow, steep stairs at the back of the church which takes you to some centuries old bits of church and whatnot. Then there are more narrow, steep steps that lead further in to the crypt and the final resting place of Mr and Mrs Pepys. You can't see them, there's a wall in the way but they're there! Not to mention even more centuries old stuff. All in all, delightful and accessible being near Fenchurch St station and Tower Hill station. The power of Christ compels you! Ian

St Olave's Church, Hart Street, in the City of London is a small mediaeval church, where Samuel…read morePepys and his wife Elizabeth lie buried. It was saved from the Great Fire of London in 1666 by tearing down rows of houses between it and the fire. London was all wood remember. Pepys was was of the people who saved it. Then of course the Blitz in WWII destroyed most of it. The fire was so intense the bells melted but they scraped up the metal and took it back to the SAME foundry the bells were made and they were recast in the original moulds. It is suprising how many entries, in books written just after the war, say church destroyed in the blitz and yet there it still is. Heritage preserved. Charles Dickens was also very fond of the church. He nicknamed it the 'Churchyard of Saint Ghastly Grim' and wrote about it in The Uncommercial Traveller. He tells a wonderful tale about being an insomniac and at midnight, in the middle of a thunderstorm, decided to take a hackney carriage to look at the place. The gateway has skulls pierced by metal and he wanted to see them in lightening. He said the coach driver became extremely nervous and kept looking over his shoulder expecting to see a bat rather than himself. Apparently, Mary Ramsay, the woman who bought the plague to London, was buried here. Usually missed by the majority of tourists it is truely worth a visit. Other interesting stuff in the area too. Opening Times Monday - Friday 09:00 - 17:00 Nearest Underground (Tube) Station: Tower Hill Apparently, Mary Ramsay, the woman who bought the plague to London, was buried here. Here's Dickens on the place: One of my best beloved churchyards, I call the churchyard of Saint Ghastly Grim; touching what men in general call it, I have no information. It lies at the heart of the City, and the Blackwall Railway shrieks at it daily. It is a small small churchyard, with a ferocious, strong, spiked iron gate, like a jail. This gate is ornamented with skulls and cross-bones, larger than the life, wrought in stone; but it likewise came into the mind of Saint Ghastly Grim, that to stick iron spikes a-top of the stone skulls, as though they were impaled, would be a pleasant device. Therefore the skulls grin aloft horribly, thrust through and through with iron spears. Hence, there is attraction of repulsion for me in Saint Ghastly Grim, and, having often contemplated it in the daylight and the dark, I once felt drawn towards it in a thunderstorm at midnight. 'Why not?' I said, in self-excuse. 'I have been to see the Colosseum by the light of the moon; is it worse to go to see Saint Ghastly Grim by the light of the lightning?' I repaired to the Saint in a hackney cab, and found the skulls most effective, having the air of a public execution, and seeming, as the lightning flashed, to wink and grin with the pain of the spikes.

The Old Church in Stoke Newington is a beautiful ancient building surrounded by a small church yard…read moreand neighbouring Clissold Park. It doesn't get more idyllic than that. I think it is still used as a church, but I have experienced it as an arts venue. From February until 20 March visitors are treated to a very special experience as part of BREATHE Festival. Output Arts created a windharp that has been placed in the bell tower of the bigger church across the road (aptly named Church Street!). The harp reacts to the wind and the resulting sound fills the ancient walls. An experience not to be missed. I 'll definitely be back for at least one of the concerts directly inspired by the windharp. During the day visitors can experience a light art installation triggered by the sound. You don't want to leave and your mind drifts off to the soothing drone of the windharp. A bit like Olafur Eliasson at the Tate, without the sun. Supervised meditation sessions are scheduled for noon throughout the festival. Wish I lived closer - addicted already.

The Old Church probably still functions as a church however it's been recently used as an art and…read moremusic venue. Due to its size...the church is in size maybe a little bit bigger than a chapel...and obviously type of the venue any show turns into a magical and beautifully intimate experience. Most recently I went to see Bishi's show that was extremely well executed and left me wanting more.

Petersham is quite unexpected: a true village within suburban London, sandwiched between Kingston…read moreand Richmond. The quaint and large Georgian brick-built church of St Peter lies just off the main road, a little corner of tranquillity away from the bustle beyond. It is thought a Saxon chapel existed here in the 8th century, and a church was mentioned in Domesday. The earliest part of the present structure, however, is the chancel, rebuilt in 1266 and now retaining a single simple lancet window. The rest of the church was rebuilt in 1505 and again in the 1700s with the expansion of the transepts, which effectively reorientated the church north-south. The south side was enlarged again in 1840, but has been little altered since. Inside, the feeling is overwhelmingly of a well-loved Georgian chapel, with high box pews and galleries, a lofty hexagonal pulpit with a spiral staircase, and round-headed windows with pale glass. There are two memorials of note: a fine Jacobean memorial to George Cole (d. 1624) and his wife, and in the churchyard, that of George Vancouver (1757-1798), whose expedition in 1791-5 charted the north west coasts of America and Canada. On my visit the church had two delightful and informative welcomers.

This large village church stands near the centre of the…read morepicturesque village of Shere, nestled in a valley close to the ridge of the North Downs. The nave and lower stages of the tower are Norman, built around 1150-90, to which a large south aisle was added in the 13th century. The church was lengthened in the early 14th century, from which period the chancel also dates. The fine north transept window of Curvilinear tracy is 15th century, and the churchyard lych gate is by Lutyens. The outside is dominated by the robust tower, which carries an equally robust broach spire. The south side has a fine Norman door, but the main entrance today is through the west entrance, which has a fine (and heavy) 17th century panelled door, and leads under an 18th century west gallery. Inside, the elegant arcade of octagonal piers separates the nave from the south aisle that is so large is feels like a double nave. The arches through to the chancel are early 14th century replacements, but there is a fine 13th century arch between the south aisle and south chapel with detached marble shafts. The fixtures and fittings are of particular interest. Several windows have fragments of mediaeval glass, and the font of Purbeck marble, with a central stem and four corner shafts, dating to around 1170. The church has some notable brasses: the oldest, dated 1417, is of the rector, Robert Scarlyff, wearing his vestments; on the floor is a large memorial to John Touchet, Lord Audley, (1423-1490). He lies resplendent in full plate armour. Close by is a brass to John Redford (d. 1516) and his wife, with his six children in mourning. On the wall of Lady Chapel is a small brass of a lady, dated 1520. However, of more curious interest is the squint and quatrefoil window on the north wall of the chancel, originally openings to the cell of an anchorite, Christine Carpenter. Anchorites were hermits, often devout teenage girls, walled up (until death) in cells attached to churches. They prayed and gave advice and in return were given food and provided with the sacraments. Christine was interred in 1329, but seems to have left and was ordered to return on 'pain of death' in 1332.

this is a very old church and quite picturesque. It is famous for having an anchorite during the…read more14th century, Christine Carpenter, about whom several movies have been made. The church has also been used in filming many movies so it may seem familiar right away.

St John's lies between Wimbledon and Raynes Park, just below the Ridgeway, and is a good example of…read morea late Victorian neo-Gothic church. The church was built to service the growing commuter population brought to Wimbledon by the London and South-Western Railway. A plot of land was bought in 1867, but a lack of funds meant that the first building was a temporary prefabricated 'iron church'. Made of corrugated iron, it came, according to the church's website, complete with altar and font, illuminated texts all over the windows and two seraphs to each entrance. The present church was begun in 1873 to designs by Thomas Jackson (1835-1924) and consecrated in 1875. Jackson delivered a classic red-brick neo-Gothic church, with a nave, chancel and a large north aisle. From the outside, it is not especially noteworthy, save for the large east window and an impressive north porch, which has Decorated Gothic detailing. The interior space is dominated by the tall single arcade between the nave and north aisle, but the main interest is provided by the fittings and furnishings: there is some lovely stained glass, including a window from the William Morris factory (the figure of Martha is by Edward Burne-Jones, that of Christ by Henry Dearle); a delicate chancel screen; and a reredos in the Lady Chapel (north aisle) by Martin Travers. The organ, installed in 1904 by Hill, Morgan and Beard, is a particularly fine example. The church is the centre of a busy parish life and is a very popular venue for music, thanks to an excellent acoustic.

I'm very lucky because I get to see this amazing building every day, Im not a part of the church,…read morebut I can appreciate the beauty of the building, but for thise who are, this beautiful Victorian Gothic Anglican church that was built in 1864, is a part of the Diocese of London. They have a service every Sunday at 10:00 am. Everyone is welcome, even if you are not religious but you have the spirit for singing. Or just to see it up close, this church is beautiful and worth a look.

After the Romanesque delights of the parish church, the…read moreCemetery Chapel provides a rich contrast. It was donated by the Arts and Crafts luminary George Frederic Watts and his wife Mary. She assembled the designs for the chapel, but much of the decorative scheme of deeply coloured glazed tiles and hand-painted gesso, were made by the villagers under her instruction. It was completed in 1904. The exterior is rich enough, with elaborate terracotta friezes depicting Hope, Truth, Love and Light, and a round-headed doorway with three orders of Celtic style decoration. But the interior takes the breath away. Once your eyes become accustomed to the gloom, the richness of the decoration reveals itself: Celtic and religious symbolism, in flowing Art Nouveau style, with deep reds, blues and greens highlighted in gold. Every square inch of the interior is heavily moulded and painted a true labour of love and dedication. The sanctuary painting by George Frederic Watts (1904) is entitled The All Pervading. The chapel is used only for funeral services, but is open daily for visitors.

We were given wrong information at the Watts Gallery that the chapel closes at 5pm. We drove past…read moreabout 5.30 and it was still open. It is set back within the site of a well tended cemetery, so you may not see much of it from the road. We parked up and walked in. The cemetery is worth a walk round in its own right. However, the Chapel is lovely indeed-a perfect reproduction of a Renaissance chapel. The exterior is covered with wonderful carvings (see photos) and the interior is a riot of thickly painted murals which cover the walls and celing. Inside it is cool and a wonderful place for quiet reflection. If you are going to the Watts Gallery I recommend seeing this at the same time.