The Guild Church of St. Mary Aldermary

This beautiful church is oldest of the London churches dedicated to St Mary. As former medieval church, it was largely destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666, and rebuilt in 1679-82 by Sir Christopher Wren's master craftsmen. It is the only surviving late XVII Gothic church in the City of London, and is especially notable for its unique plaster vaulting and its magnificent wooden sword rest. Now the Church is the place for daily prayer, regular worship services, meditation and discussion groups go on in the church, and the community also hosts conferences and courses on subjects such as justice in economics, conflict resolution or mindfulness. The church hosts regular art exhibitions and installations, and retreat days. It is home to a café, Host, which sells fair trade coffee and goods.

Photo from Wikimedia Commons