This structure is a rare survival of the medieval City churches that were mostly destroyed during the Great Fire of London in 1666. It is dedicated to St Ethelburga, a 7th-century abbess of Barking Abbey; she was the sister of Saint Erkenwald, a Bishop of London. Its foundation date is unknown, but it was first recorded in 1250 as the church of St Adelburga-the-Virgin. The dedication to "-the-Virgin" was dropped in Puritan times but was later restored. The church was rebuilt in the 15th century – possibly around 1411 – and a small square bell turret was added in 1775. A weathervane was added in 1671. In order to raise revenue for the church, whose parish covered just three acres, a wooden porch was built over its exterior in the 16th century to house two shops. It underwent major changes in 1932, when Bishopsgate was controversially widened. The shops were demolished and the porch dismantled, revealing the façade of the church for the first time in centuries. It suffered modest bomb damage during the Blitz of the Second World War and was restored in 1953. In 1993, the church was half destroyed when a massive IRA bomb exploded 7 metres from the church, devastating Bishopsgate and causing an estimated £350 million worth of damage. An evangelical faction of the Church of England proposed to demolish St Ethelburga's in the aftermath but, following a sustained public outcry, it was rebuilt to its original plan, though much changed internally.
Description
The church's tiny interior comprises a nave and aisle divided by an arcade. Most of the original fittings were destroyed by the 1993 bombing although they were not as old as the church, dating from the early 20th century, being the work of Ninian Comper. One of the more notable survivals is the curious 19th-century font, which is inscribed with one of the longest known palindromes, written in Greek: ΝΙΨΟΝ ΑΝΟΜΗΜΑΤΑ ΜΗ ΜΟΝΑΝ ΟΨΙΝ, which translates as "Cleanse transgressions, not only face". The church was designated a Grade I listed building on 4 January 1950, and its reconstruction retains the listing.
Centre for Reconciliation and Peace
St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace is a non-profit charity which aims to build relationships across divisions of conflict, culture and religion. Its work includes: a multi-faith conflict resilience programme ; community reconciliation ; the Narrative Practitioners Forum ; Re-awakening the Sacred ; an MA in reconciliation at Winchester University; and several strands of cultural exchange work mentoring young adults into social action leadership roles. It also runs a certificated three-day course in conflict coaching aimed at anyone dealing with workplace or personal conflict. The Centre also works with a social enterprise, Seasoned Events, for building/venue hire purposes. Every year the Centre organises a 10 km walk, 'The Ethelburga Walk', which links two historic sites associated with the St Ethelburga of Barking: Barking Abbey and St Ethelburga's Centre. St Ethelburga's is a partner in the community of the Cross of Nails.
Notable people associated with the church
Blessed John Larke, Rector who was martyred for denying the royal supremacy in matters spiritual.
Henry Hudson, explorer, took communion with his crew before setting out in search of the Northwest Passage, 1607.
Charles Viner married in the church in 1699.
John Medows Rodwell, Rector who made the first reliable rendering of the Qur'an into English.
Dr W. F. Geikie-Cobb, Rector who achieved notoriety by marrying many divorced persons in the church.
Singers Webster Booth and Anne Ziegler had their marriage blessed by Dr W. F. Geikie-Cobb in a special ceremony for divorced persons on 5 November 1938.
