St Mary Aldermary
St Mary Aldermary (or St Mary Elder Mary), is an Anglican guild church located on Bow Lane at the junction with Watling St, in the City of London. Of medieval origin, rebuilding began under the Tudor Henry VIII in 1510 and was not finished until the reign of the Stuart monarch Charles I in 1632. Severely damaged just 33 years later during the Great Fire of London in 1666, it was rebuilt once more, this time by the office of Sir Christopher Wren. Unlike most of Wren's City churches, St Mary Aldermary was reconstructed in the Gothic style, an outstanding example of the first — 17th century — Gothic Revival. Nearly a millennium after its foundation SMA continues to offer a place for contemplation (as well as coffee and cake) with pre-work 8am gatherings three times a week (Mon: Silent meditation; Weds and Fri: Taize) and after work at 6pm on Wednesday (Weds 6pm: Still Point). History A church has occupied the site for more than 900 years. Its name is usually taken to mean that it is the oldest of the City churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It has also been suggested that, on Bow Lane, it is