St Giles-without-Cripplegate

St Giles-without-Cripplegate is one of the few medieval churches left in the City of London as it survived the Great Fire of 1666. The church was badly damaged by fire in 1545, and again during the Second World War. On the night of 24 August 1940, German bombs completely gutted the church and flattened the whole surrounding area north of St Paul’s cathedral. The church was restored using the plans of the reconstruction of 1545, and the surrounding area was rebuilt as the Barbican Estate. The towers that you can see behind and to the left of the church tower are city office blocks.

St Giles is the patron saint of beggars and cripples. "Without-Cripplegate" means that the church was just outside the medieval city walls, next to a small gate, which can still be seen, called "Cripplegate". My camera club is called the City of London & Cripplegate Photographic Society - quite a mouthful!