Hawksmoor's St George's Church

The Bloomsbury church with it's unique steeple and George I.

Location: Bloomsbury Way, Bloomsbury

Description: St George's Bloomsbury is the 6th and final London church designed by the leading architect of the English Baroque, Nicholas Hawksmoor. It dates to a consecration in 1731, and has recently been extensively renovated and reopened to the public in 2006.

The statue of George I at its pinnacle was paid for by William Hucks; parishioner, MP for Abingdon and royal brewer. At the time George I wasn't popular and two other statues were torn down by the public, this one survived out of reach of the people.

The statue sits proudly on top of a stepped pyramid whose design was based upon Plinys description of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (Turkey).

In 1913, St George's the church was the setting for the memorial service for Emily Davison, the suffragette who threw herself under the Kings horse in the Derby.

In 1937, St George's Church held a special service of remembrance for those killed during the Abyssinian War which was attended by Haile Selassie.

Artist William Hogarth's famous Gin Lane (1751), with the spire of St Georges clearly visible towards the top of the picture, gives us an idea of the squalor and despair that characterised the area in the 18th century.

Themes: Church Church Theme