There's not much to add to Templar's comprehensive review: still regarded by many as one of the…read moremost important centres in the Anglo-Jewish community, the Bevis Marks Synagogue is beautifully maintained. It is strongly reminiscent of the Wren and Hawksmoor churches of the City in its classical architecture and furnishings, which include impressive brass candelabra and 17th century wooden benches. The Synagogue's tradition is Orthodox, so men and women are separated: men on the ground floor, women in the galleries. Their opening hours (for visits) are slightly longer than advertised on their website, so it's worth contacting them ahead of a trip to London if you want to pay a call. Tourists (as opposed to those attending services) are asked to pay £3 for entry, and men are asked to wear a skull cap - one will be provided if you don't have one. Your bags may also be searched. They sell a small range of postcards and books at the entrance.

Situated in a secluded courtyard, the Bevis Marks Synagogue was opened in 1701 to serve the Spanish…read more& Portuguese Jewish Congregation. Today it is one of the best-preserved houses of worship of its period still in regular use. The Inquisition, revived by Ferdinand and Isabella, turned its attention to these crypto-Jews, and from the last years of the fifteenth century, they: were systematically persecuted, arrested, tortured, tried, and burnt at the stake. From about this time there was a constant exodus of 'Marranos' who succeeded in escaping from Spain and Portugal or its dependencies to avoid persecution and a small number of them reached Protestant England. Outwardly, they were obliged to behave as Christians, for at that time Jews were not allowed officially, to enter the country, but at any rate they could live there, provided that they behaved with circumspection, and could meet in secret in each others' houses for prayer. The first Jewish house of worship of the resettlement of the Jews in England was as opened in 1656 in the upper floor of a house in Creechurch Lane, which is but a stone's throw from the present Synagogue in Bevis Marks The site of this house is today marked by a plaque, on the rear corner of Cunard House in Creechurch Lane. Jews were permitted to return to Britain in 1657 under Oliver Cromwell. They felt that the time was opportune to present a petition in the form of a humble address to Oliver Cromwell asking for the official re?admittance of the Jews to England Their decision was no doubt a wise one, as Cromwell, reared in a Puritanical atmosphere with its emphasis on the Old Testament was likely to hear favourably any petition presented by the 'people of the Old Testament'. Some of the most eminent figures of Anglo-Jewry sat at prayer in the Synagogue such as Sir Moses Montefiore. Disraeli was born into the Congregation and there are links to the Rothschilds. Today it is regarded as the most distinguished British Synagogue. The magnificent wooden Ark or cupboard) resembling a reredos, at the east end, is built in classical architecture in the manner of Sir Christopher Wren's time. It contains (as is the custom in Jewish synagogues') the sacred scrolls of' the Pentateuch, or five books of Moses, written in Hebrew on parchment, which are read in consecutive instalment over the period of a year as the central feature of the Sabbath Service. Several splendid seventeenth century vestments and silver ornaments belonging to the scrolls survive. The entablature of the Ark has as its central feature the Ten Commandments written in Hebrew (abbreviated), above which are inscribed in Hebrew the words 'Know before Whom thou standest'. The silver hanging Sanctuary Lamp, burning perpetually before the Ark, was presented by Edward Foligno in 1876 and evidently replaces an earlier example, now lost. Except for the addition of the doors to the Banca or Wardens' pews and to the Haham's or Chief Rabbi's seat in 1787, and of the choirstalls in about 1830, the ancient synagogue has remained virtually unchanged. Electric light was installed in 1929 Even though recently restored, the interior has barely changed since it was built. It is in the style of many Nonconformist chapels of the period. The influence of Sir Christopher wren is also evident. The Synagogue has one of the finest collections of Cromwellian and Queen Anne furniture in the country and the magnificent brass candelabra with glowing candlelight. On 19th December 1951 the Congregation held a Service to celebrate the 250th anniversary, of the opening of the Synagogue which was attended by the Duke of Edinburgh. On 22nd March 1956 British Jewry held a Service of dedication and thanksgiving at the Synagogue on the tercentenary of the resettlement of the Jews in the British Isles. Twelve pillars, symbolising the tribes of Israel, support the ladies' gallery, the reading desk and Echal are flanked by 10 candlesticks representing the Ten Commandments; and the interior is dominated by seven magnificent candelabra, corresponding to the days of the week. One of the great oak beams supporting the roof is said to have been presented by Princess (later Queen) Anne. In 1992 and 1993 the synagogue suffered great damage from terrorist bomb attacks on the City of London. Nearly £200,000, raised by donation, has since been spent in repairing and renovating the structure

ABUSIVE, 80% BORING, AND NOT CARING ABOUT CHILDREN'S SAFETY:…read more THEY ARE FILTHY CROOKS. And the sermons delivered by their pastors (not their guests I have seen so far this year) at the Central London branch are SO boring!!! I have not heard such boring messages since I became a born again Christian and I think we have not since the world began. What is going on? They are SO pathetic!!! God sees. God agrees. Of course. On Sunday 23/11/2025 at Hillsong Church Central London at Dominion Theatre there was a serious incident. *A female church volunteer deliberately* endangered my precious sons Jeremiah and Ethan who are 10 and 8 years old by providing us with wrong information at the start of the service. As I raised concerns about this potentially dangerous misinformation, do you know what their response was? Three security staff and a Hillsong church female staff member attempted to terrorize and threaten me, and they vigorously defended the hypocrite female volunteer who deliberately gave me the wrong information endangering two young children, how evil! The female church staff member's behavior stemmed from jealousy (it was 100% jealousy getting her to attempt to terrorize and threaten me like that, the confidence she tried to exhibit after the church service was extremely fake, she wanted to give the impression that I am the one in the wrong and she has finally done the right thing mistreating me the way she did at the start of the church service, cock and bull story, her jealousy is monstrous) and honestly I don't care because I have other important *GOOD* things to do in this world. I passed kindergarten and I am very focused. After the church service, three of the security staff at Dominion Theatre continued their harassment. I was forcibly escorted out with Jeremiah and Ethan by two of the security staff (without having caused a scene during the church service, no) while my precious son Ty who is 16 had gone to the restroom. The two security staff refused to let me re-enter the hall to get my precious son Ty after forcibly escorting Jeremiah, Ethan and I out. Only one man who attended the church service intervened, asking the abusive two security staff to allow me back inside to get my third child, but they still denied me that. I very much thanked that man who intervened. I then spotted my son Ty, who, noticing my absence in the hall, was calling my phone to find out where I was; I had to shout his name for him to come to me. They wouldn't let me go back inside to get my own child? It highlights how fitting the term "FILTHY CROOKS" is for them. A third security staff mocked us, laughing at me, Jeremiah and Ethan. I contacted news outlets like SKY News to expose the way I was mistreated. Yesterday 30/11/2025, as we went to church my precious children and I for God, I was told by one of the abusive security staff from the previous Sunday that Hillsong Church Central London has refused that I continue to attend their church. Someone called Steve, a church representative I believe, spoke to me and confirmed this. They mentioned an email was sent to me about it. I told them I had not received that email which is true. THEIR JEALOUSY IS DISGUSTING AND MONSTROUS! And ugly. What they don't know is that the night before God, who is always on my side, revealed a secret to me and instructed me not to disclose it until after I attended church yesterday and witnessed their actions. God clearly stated: "NOT THIS TIME", in a very strong and powerful manner. I wonder what God meant. God spoke that against those at Hillsong who support my mistreatment, showing me, assuring me, that he is on my side. He is definitely infinity percent not with them when it comes to the way they treated me the previous Sunday and yesterday. THANK YOU SO MUCH, LORD! YES!!! Please FIRE and BAN the three abusive security staff, the abusive jealous female church staff and that female volunteer who deliberately gave me wrong information. Shut down their evil. For good. Now. THANK YOU. Patricia Wagner

It's always great to visit this church here in Bloomsbury, the community are friendly and you feel…read morelike you're home around your family!

This lovely church in Soho Square was once the home of…read moreCasanova's lover Mrs Cornelys & their daughter was conceived here when it was once one of the most fashionable addresses in London. Now it holds magnificent services. I went to the funeral of Pearl here, wife of John Bermiston, a publican in nearby Fitzrovia's Northumberland Arms

As a temporary resident of London (student abroad) who was looking for a church to go to Mass…read moreduring my period of stay, I am very happy to having found this church. It's ambiance is respectful but not overly so (in the sense that no one will seem to want to criticize you if you just so happen to drop your jacket/book during Mass). There were a variety of types of people during my time there, and everywhere I looked, I was greeted with a smile. The music was all very pleasant, especially due to the fantastic acoustics of the stone walled church! Overall, if I were to ever find myself in London again on a Sunday, I'll be making my way here.

12/09/2018: Despite the fact, I live in Placerville CA USA, I always make certain I attend a…read morechurch service close to where I'm residing, i.e., that's ANYWHERE on the Planet. The church service at 6:30 PM was a very special blessing: My first church attendance in UK, I had the pleasure witnessing several Baptisms especially, Song-Shi hailing from Seoul, South Korea . . . Jag-eun sesang, majayo, Song-Shi? Anyway, the Pastor of Metropolitan Tabernacle gave his Isaiah 1:1-2 sermon: Certainly, the Pastor's sermon was quite similar to the Baptist Pastors' sermons via Vallejo CA where I was baptised. I wasn't surprised or astonished regarding the Pastor's sermon this evening; everything the Pastor stated was aligned with USA Baptist Pastors: The differences were the repeated chants after each person was baptized, the hymns sung were absolutely unfamiliar, and grammatically, the distinct usage of thee and thou were sung throughout each Hymn.

I love the services, the preaching and singing! Praise God for brothers and sisters around the…read moreworld, that hold to Traditional worship and teaching!

Coming out of Bank underground station, I was thinking; 'Where on earth would I find some decent…read moreretail outlets, pubs or restaurants on streets of 100 year old office blocks?' Finding an old church, I peered into the clear doors and saw lots and lots of bookshelves! So I investigated a bit further and found a bookshop waited for me inside. Soft music plays in the background while you browse the inoffensive, relaxed bookshelves (you have to go there to understand just how inoffensive these bookshelves are compared to the ones you see all over the place these days..) and you can buy second hand as well as new books, which is very useful for penny pinchers like me. The staff are of the elderly, friendly kind and are so obviously spiritual that it warms your heart... though I was struck by a thought that these people are as much furniture as the tables and chairs are here. They have also expanded, for the season, into Christmas cards and postcards and some are pretty damn funny (if 100% tasteful) which isn't always a good thing. The book topics focus on religion and theology (understandably) and are of an adult context - big thinkers and book enthusiasts only should be shopping here. Teenagers looking for some romance novels may find a few floating around but much better off if you're into some hardcore thinking. An excellent little place.

Southwark Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral Church of St. Saviour and St. Mary Overie, has a…read morefascinating history that dates back over a thousand years. Its origins can be traced to a monastery founded in AD 606 by Mellitus, the first Bishop of London. The original structure was a wooden building and was later rebuilt in stone around the 9th century. Over the centuries, the cathedral has undergone various renovations and additions, resulting in the magnificent structure we see today. The location of Southwark Cathedral is of great historical significance. It stands on the south bank of the River Thames, near the site of the ancient Roman bridge that connected the City of London with the southern part of the country Inside the cathedral, children can discover a rich collection of paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts that span different periods and styles. The Cathedral has a lovely garden which is a haven at all times of year but especially in the summer. A quiet space to sit for a while. Whilst the lovely cafe serving delicious coffee and cakes is a nice way to escape the crowds of London bridge

I chanced upon this spot as I was going through Borough Market and I am so glad I did. So much…read morehistory and splendor at this cathedral. I spent some time meditating in the pews and had a wonderful visit overall. It's free entrance as well which is nice.

This is a beautiful Wren church, located just north of St. Paul's on Foster Lane. St. Vedast is…read morethought to have been established circa 1170, although the first official record is from the 13th century. It was rebuilt in the 16th and early 17th centuries, but then destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. Only the base of the tower and the lower walls survived. The church was temporarily repaired by the parish, and then was rebuilt by Wren between 1695 and 1712. The church was essentiallly destroyed in the Blitz, with only the tower, steeple, and walls surviving. Restoration was completed in 1962. I was especially impressed by the interior of St. Vedast. It has dark wood, and an elaborate and colorful plaster ceiling. The interior also contains gorgeous furnishings from lost City churches, particularly the stunning pulpit (from All Hallows Bread Street) and organ case (from St. Bartholomew by the Exchange). All of the woodwork is beautiful. St. Vedast is a calm place just steps from the bustle of the City.

Beautiful and historic Catholic church in the City of London. See their website for the church's…read morelong history. There is a relic of Saint Etheldreda to the right of the altar. I attended the 9am Mass last Sunday with about three dozen others. It was a solemn, reverential experience. It is inspiring to find a quiet place to pray in a corner of London devoted to buying and selling. However, as a note to fellow Yanks, there was minimal music (just instrumental organ as a prelude before Mass) and Father did not offer the chalice to the assembly. I don't know if this is typical of English liturgy, but it matches my limited experience in England and Ireland.

"The Church is a perpetually defeated thing that always outlives her conquerors." --Hilaire Belloc…read more I woke up early and jet-lagged on a Sunday morning, and decided to walk to church, armed with nothing but a screenshot of a map taken while I still had hotel wifi. Even still, St. Etheldreda's Church was not easy to find. It lay hidden behind a small unattended gate that read, "Ely Place", tucked away at the end of a cul-de-sac of residences and businesses. Eventually walking through the doors and down the entry corridor, I wasn't prepared for the incredible beauty and serenity of this 12th century church. It's difficulty to locate was almost a metaphor for it's entrance. Large wooden medieval doors opened to a long well-lit corridor that led up a few steps through another vestibule. From there, older looking doors opened to a darker space, illuminated predominately by the sunlight filtering through stained glass panels depicting the lives of saints, apostles, and Jesus Christ. The faint scent of old wood and stone gave a sense of how ancient this place was. Because I was late from getting a bit lost, Mass was already in progress. It was a beautiful and traditional service. I stayed a bit longer to sit in this secluded, mystical place to pray. On the way out, I met one of the choir members who invited me to stay for the 11AM Mass that is sung in Latin. I wish I could have but my hubs had many tours planned for us that day. I did stay to listen to them practice a bit and was in awe of their angelic voices. A historical note: Because of the Reformation, most Catholic churches did not survive and were either destroyed or taken over by the Church of England. St. Etheldreda's was converted for a while, but was reclaimed by the Catholic faith in 1874, making it one of the few in London, and definitely the oldest.

St Martin in the Fields is right in Trafalgar Square in the heart of London. This corner of…read moreTrafalgar Square hosts the National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery as well as swanky hotels. The church of St Martin in the Fields is a historic church in central London. This significant parish church has a vast history. It has stood on this prime London site since 1222. Although the church is probably photographed by almost every visitor who arrives in Trafalgar Square, the view that most people take is from the south side of the square, near Nelson's column and the four lions As you stand in Trafalgar Square amidst the pigeons and with Nelson's Column towering over you, stand back and admire the grandeur of this incredible church. You may recognize it from the annual New Year celebrations nearby or films like Notting Hill.

Had our schedule permitted us time to see a classical music performance at St. Martin in the…read moreFields, I assume we would've had a better impression of the venue. Instead, we came for lunch in their crypt; my obsession with the macabre wouldn't let me pass up this hidden cafe, but the food left much to be desired. In true cafeteria style, you grab a tray & move down the line, pointing at items that staff members load onto your plate. We chose a few items to share: something that looked like chicken tenders with sides of mashed potato & peas, pasta salad, a veggie pie, & Victoria sponge cake. Seating area was quite crowded. A unique setting to have a meal, if only the food tasted better.

What can you not like about a church. It is a nice little church tucked in the middle of a busy…read morestreet. I stayed in the hotel right next door and although I knew this was nearby, I couldn't find it initially. It's easy to miss unless you are looking for it. It doesn't have any fancy entrance, just small door but once you enter, it is beautiful. I attended a Monday morning mass in Latin. The church is small but has plenty of place to sit and pray quietly.