Ludgate Hill is a street and surrounding area, on a small hill in the City of London, England. The street passes through the former site of Ludgate, a city gate that was demolished – along with a gaol attached to it – in 1760.
Ludgate Hill looking east from the foot of Fleet Street, 1970
Ludgate Hill in 2006
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London. Its dedication in honour of Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. The present structure, which was completed in 1710, is a Grade I listed building that was designed in the English Baroque style by Sir Christopher Wren. The cathedral's reconstruction was part of a major rebuilding programme initiated in the aftermath of the Great Fire of London. The earlier Gothic cathedral, largely destroyed in the Great Fire, was a central focus for medieval and early modern London, including Paul's walk and St Paul's Churchyard, being the site of St Paul's Cross.
Aerial view of the St Paul's Cathedral
Reconstructed image of Old St Paul's before 1561, with intact spire
Shrine of St Erkenwald, relics removed 1550, lost as a monument in the Great Fire of London
Old St Paul's in 1656 by Wenceslaus Hollar, showing the rebuilt west facade