Christ Church Spitalfields: Hawksmoor's White Tower
England, London · United Kingdom · Church
Christ Church Spitalfields was built to designs by Nicholas Hawksmoor and completed in 1729, one of six churches he built in London.
During the twentieth century it fell into decay, and for decades the crypt housed a shelter for the homeless, before a long restoration returned the church to its former glory. Annie Chapman, one of the Ripper's victims, moved through the streets around the church, and her body was found only a couple of hundred metres from here.
The churches of Hawksmoor have acquired a modern mythology all of their own. Writers in the 1970s and 1980s built up the idea that the six churches form an occult pattern across the city, a notion that has since travelled on into novels and comics. Be clear that this is modern fiction. No eighteenth century source calls Hawksmoor an occultist. It is the magic of literature, not of history. But stand in front of the pale tower at dusk and you will understand why the writers chose it. Some buildings look as though they know something, and Christ Church is one of them.
FAQ
Where is Christ Church Spitalfields: Hawksmoor's White Tower located?
Christ Church Spitalfields: Hawksmoor's White Tower is in England, London, United Kingdom.
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Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.
Image: Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons