In the Shadow of St Paul’s Cathedral: The Churchyard that Shaped London
Margaret Willes (Yale, £25)
WHEN you stop to think about the history of any small part of the City of London, the depth, complexity and richness is almost always overwhelming. The environs of St Paul’s are no exception. As this engagingly written book reveals, the area around the cathedral has a discrete, but fascinating history that illuminates the story of London as a whole. The author has spent her career in publishing and the care with which this book is written and structured reflects that experience.
There has been a cathedral in London since the 7th century, but
the argument of this book properly comes into focus at the Norman Conquest, when a walled and gated precinct is first laid out around the huge new 11th-century cathedral. The story is presented chronologically and breaks down into neat themes that chart the changing face of the environs physically, socially and intellectually. The folkmoot—a gathering of citizens that dates back to the Anglo-saxon period—was summoned by a cathedral bell just outside the precinct. We see the debates of the folkmoot leap over the precinct wall in the later Middle Ages to Saint Paul’s Cross, a place of disputation and religious debate. Then the printing presses arrive, providing material to fuel the debates of the Reformation, after which comes an exploration of the Elizabeth theatrical world, which had strong connections to the institution of the cathedral. In 1666 came the Great Fire. The destruction it caused and Wren’s new church completely changed the character of the area. It became a place of fashionable parade, of intellectual life, publishing and a smart spot to shop.
There is a sting in the tail. This is the tragedy that so little remains on the ground today. That is in part due to bombing in the Second World War, but it is also a product of the ceaseless change that has long been a feature of London. John Goodall