St Olave's Church
St Olave's Church
4.5
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 1:30 PM
About
St Olave's is an historic church in the City of London and final resting place of English diarist, and observer of the Great Fire of London, Samuel Pepys.
Suggested duration
< 1 hour
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: City of London
From its ancient past as a Roman trading outpost to its 21st century status as the wealthiest square mile in the world, the financial district known simply as “The City” is one of London's most historic and fascinating neighbourhoods. Here high rise office towers such as Norman Foster’s Gherkin mingle with Roman ruins and architectural marvels from virtually every era in between, including Christopher Wren's glorious St.Paul's Cathedral, and John Soane's dauntingly classicist Bank of England. This neighbourhood is also home to some of the finest restaurants and plushest hotels in Europe, in addition to an assortment of of watering holes, upscale shops, and Tube stations. During the week, the City is abuzz with white collar workers going about their business; the weekend sees this area turn into a quiet haven for sightseers.
How to get there
- Tower Hill • 4 min walk
- Tower Gateway • 5 min walk
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
41 reviews
Excellent
30
Very good
9
Average
2
Poor
0
Terrible
0
therichastill
Stevenage, UK2,527 contributions
Jul 2023 • Solo
Deep in the heart of the city of London is St Olave's Church. It's a beautiful building that is open to the public. When I visited there was a service going on so you had to be quiet.
If you are a fan of old churches you will like this place.
If you are a fan of old churches you will like this place.
Written 6 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stu151
Wickford, UK1,568 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
St Olave's dates from 1450, and is one of the few churches to survive the Fire of London.
Samuel Pepys was a regular worshipper, and it also has links to Charles Dickens.
It's well presented and interesting to visit, particularly in respect of it's Trinity House links
(In 1665 the Great Plague of London broke out just a few streets away from the church, and around 300 victims were interred in the churchyard. Their names were marked with a 'p' for 'plague' in the church register of burials.
Samuel Pepys was a regular worshipper, and it also has links to Charles Dickens.
It's well presented and interesting to visit, particularly in respect of it's Trinity House links
(In 1665 the Great Plague of London broke out just a few streets away from the church, and around 300 victims were interred in the churchyard. Their names were marked with a 'p' for 'plague' in the church register of burials.
Written 24 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jethro672
London1,046 contributions
Dec 2021 • Solo
What an amazing church - incredibly.interesting one of the few medieval churches to survive the great fire. A wonderful church yard. Highly recommended
Written 1 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
StephenCross
Dublin, Ireland18,403 contributions
Aug 2021 • Solo
Graveyard off to the side of the church and the old church sits amongst some modern structures. The entryway to the graveyard is quite spooky ! See photo.
Written 19 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
futtock21
London, UK11,598 contributions
Feb 2020 • Solo
St. James’s Piccadilly and St. Martin-in-the-Fields are both well known venues for free lunchtime concerts but one should add to their number St. Olave’s in Hart Lane, a stone’s throw south of Fenchurch Street station. It’s not as grand as its West End rivals, not least because it’s one of the few medieval churches (in fact dating from the 13th century) to have survived the Great Fire of 1666. Unfortunately it had to be rebuilt after the Blitz with King Haakon VII of Norway presiding over the rededication ceremony in 1954. As such it is one of the smallest churches in London but what it lacks in grandeur it certainly makes up for in atmosphere. It made an admirable setting for a recital of music for oboe and piano including a non-reverberant acoustic for a programme including sonatas by Vivaldi and Poulenc. The small churchyard is an oasis of calm amidst the bustle of the eastern corner of the City.
Written 5 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ViaBen
Greater London, UK851 contributions
Nov 2019
St Olave's is possibly one of the smallest churches in the City and it is one of the few that did not burn down in the Great Fire. Wooden ceiling, a modern organ, plenty of memorials to the many worthy patrons and historical figures connected to the church and a small cemetery/garden on the side.
When I visited the atmosphere was peaceful and welcoming - until a good and unexpected lunchtime started and that added to the pleasant experience.
When I visited the atmosphere was peaceful and welcoming - until a good and unexpected lunchtime started and that added to the pleasant experience.
Written 6 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Howlo
Buckingham, UK9,525 contributions
Aug 2019
We came across this fine church by accident whilst in the Tower Hill Area. What a lovely and beautiful church, it is full of history, having survived the Great Fire it is fitting Samuel Pepys is buried here. It really is worth seeking out amongst all the surrounding skyscrappers
Written 26 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hoppityskip
Essex, UK13,802 contributions
Mar 2019 • Solo
Had a short but relaxing visit to see this church before I was out to dinner
Well worth a pop in to see this fascinating church
Well worth a pop in to see this fascinating church
Written 4 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
vickiebypass
Stamford, CT236 contributions
Jan 2019 • Solo
I like going to lunch-time recitals so picked St Olave’s church which is on Hart Street. Interesting neighborhood since it’s a financial, business area so not many tourists but it was lunchtime with lots of locals out and about. Came out of the Tube at the Bank of England and the Royal Exchange and spotted several unusual skyscrapers, including the Gherkin, the Walkie-Talkie, and others. Love the juxtaposition of old and new. Furthering that, St Olave’s, a 12th century church, was in the midst of tall, modern office buildings & hotels.
The church is small but rather ornate inside with stained glass windows from the 1950s and various memorial. For a small place, it has a lot of history – it survived the Great Fire, Pepys is buried there, had heavy bomb damage in WWII and was restored in the 1950’s. Affiliated with various guilds, including the corn hall workers and cloth workers which is reflected in the stained glass windows. Crypt down a winding metal staircase..
There were about 30 attendees and the concert was a pianist and a flautist who played for a full hour. Very nice. No charge for the concert but they were accepting donations so I left them 5 pounds which seemed to be what other people are doing. Would go to another concert there or at other churches.
The church is small but rather ornate inside with stained glass windows from the 1950s and various memorial. For a small place, it has a lot of history – it survived the Great Fire, Pepys is buried there, had heavy bomb damage in WWII and was restored in the 1950’s. Affiliated with various guilds, including the corn hall workers and cloth workers which is reflected in the stained glass windows. Crypt down a winding metal staircase..
There were about 30 attendees and the concert was a pianist and a flautist who played for a full hour. Very nice. No charge for the concert but they were accepting donations so I left them 5 pounds which seemed to be what other people are doing. Would go to another concert there or at other churches.
Written 27 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
StephenCross
Dublin, Ireland18,403 contributions
Jan 2019 • Solo
In the heart of the city and spooky in many ways (see photos). Very interesting history. Little grave yard in the center. Well worth a visit.
Written 30 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Frequently Asked Questions about St Olave's Church
- Hotels near St Olave's Church:
- (0.05 km) Apex City of London Hotel
- (0.15 km) Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square
- (0.18 km) hub by Premier Inn London Tower Bridge hotel
- (0.18 km) Novotel London Tower Bridge
- (0.12 km) DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London -Tower of London
- Restaurants near St Olave's Church:
- (0.02 km) The Ship
- (0.04 km) The Corn Exchange
- (0.05 km) Chop'd Mark Lane
- (0.05 km) Pret a Manger
- (0.05 km) Roma Bar and Restaurant