St Dunstan in the West Burial Ground
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St Dunstan in the West Burial Ground

Fleet Street, City of London, Greater London, England

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  • Get directions 27 Bream's Buildings
    Fleet Street, City of London, Greater London England
    Coordinates: 51.51425, -0.11025
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St Dunstan's Church was the last medieval City church to be rebuilt, and was first mentioned in c.1185, known as St Dunstan's Over Against the New Temple in 1237, later that century becoming known as St Dunstan in the West to distinguish it from St Dunstan in the East. The old church escaped the Great Fire in 1666, which halted only 3 houses to the east of the church. However by the early C19th the church was dilapidated and in 1829 an Act of Parliament was passed to enable it to be taken down and a new church built to designs of John Shaw. Building commenced in 1831 and it was consecrated in 1833, although Shaw did not live to witness this, having died in 1832. While the foundations of the old church were excavated a lead coffin of 1747 was discovered and accidentally broken open in which the body was, 'to the astonishment of all', extremely well preserved. The old church had projected much further forward onto Fleet Street 'and was so surrounded by shops or stalls as to render the road-way dangerously narrow'. The present church was built further north and stands on the site of the churchyard; earlier burials apparently appeared to have been reinterred in different positions. What remains of the churchyard has modest gate/brick gate piers with a low brick wall to Bream's Buildings, behind which is a raised area of grass. Boundary railings are set back from the wall and the few tombstones remaining are effectively outside, being in front of the railings. The garden has a few larger trees and some shrubbery.

St Dunstan's Church was the last medieval City church to be rebuilt, and was first mentioned in c.1185, known as St Dunstan's Over Against the New Temple in 1237, later that century becoming known as St Dunstan in the West to distinguish it from St Dunstan in the East. The old church escaped the Great Fire in 1666, which halted only 3 houses to the east of the church. However by the early C19th the church was dilapidated and in 1829 an Act of Parliament was passed to enable it to be taken down and a new church built to designs of John Shaw. Building commenced in 1831 and it was consecrated in 1833, although Shaw did not live to witness this, having died in 1832. While the foundations of the old church were excavated a lead coffin of 1747 was discovered and accidentally broken open in which the body was, 'to the astonishment of all', extremely well preserved. The old church had projected much further forward onto Fleet Street 'and was so surrounded by shops or stalls as to render the road-way dangerously narrow'. The present church was built further north and stands on the site of the churchyard; earlier burials apparently appeared to have been reinterred in different positions. What remains of the churchyard has modest gate/brick gate piers with a low brick wall to Bream's Buildings, behind which is a raised area of grass. Boundary railings are set back from the wall and the few tombstones remaining are effectively outside, being in front of the railings. The garden has a few larger trees and some shrubbery.

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  • Added: 28 Jul 2007
  • Find a Grave Cemetery ID: 2225699