St Mary Aldermary, the Grade I listed church on Watling Street rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London, has received initial support* from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for St Mary Aldermary Revitalised. Made possible thanks to National Lottery players, the project aims to secure the future of this much-loved City church and open it to more people.
Development funding of £626,829 has been awarded by the Heritage Fund to help the church progress its plans to apply for a full National Lottery grant of £1.9 million once the Development phase is complete. The City Churches Grants Committee has contributed a further £50,000 and has agreed in principle to give £250,000 towards the Delivery phase, part of the £1.1 million the church intends to raise.
The project, St Mary Aldermary Revitalised: connecting people and place, heritage and hospitality, brings together care for the church’s historic fabric, opportunities to learn and experience heritage skills, and activity that builds on its role as a place of welcome in the heart of the City.
This is not a typical church. St Mary Aldermary is open seven days a week and welcomes more than 175,000 visitors a year: City workers and commuters seeking quiet contemplation before work, tourists admiring Wren’s Gothic masterpiece, customers enjoying the ethically driven Host Café, members of the Moldovan Orthodox community at weekends, and people who come in for warmth, a hot drink and food. The project builds on this mix of community, heritage and hospitality.
Heritage craft in public view
From early 2027, students from City & Guilds of London Art School will work on site, testing stone cleaning methods and surveying the church’s historic stonework and woodwork. They will also design and carve 20 pilot stone bosses in Portland limestone, shaped with ideas from café users and community groups, for permanent installation in the church. The carving will take place in a temporary Heritage Studio, a marquee-style structure in the churchyard, where visitors can watch the work in progress.
The partnership gives students experience of working on a Grade I listed building and gives visitors a chance to see conservation and craft in action. If a further Delivery-phase grant is secured, the plan is to extend the programme and restore more of the church’s original decorative scheme.
The Lady Mayor of the City of London, Dame Susan Langley, said: “Heritage crafts are part of the fabric of the City, but preserving them means investing in the next generation of people who will carry those skills forward. Throughout my mayoral year, I’ve been proud to champion heritage crafts and the apprentices learning these specialist skills.
“This project brings that work to life in a wonderful way – giving young craftspeople the chance to learn on one of the City’s most historic buildings, while allowing thousands of visitors to see their skill up close.”
Dr Lois Rowe, Principal of City & Guilds of London Art School, said: “This project is a wonderful opportunity to put into practice the specialist skills and conservation knowledge that our students develop at the Art School, within a living heritage building at the heart of the City of London. For our students, working at St Mary Aldermary means taking their learning beyond the studio and applying it to the real challenges of caring for a Grade I listed building that is such an important part of the City’s history and identity.
“Just as importantly, the project will allow visitors to see traditional craft and conservation happening in real time, helping to build understanding of the skill, knowledge and care needed to protect the City’s heritage and pass these specialist skills on to future generations.”
A place to belong
Other partners will create ways for people to take part in the life of the church. Liberty Kitchen, a charity and social enterprise supporting prison leavers into work, will help develop a hospitality role at Host Café and run food and confidence-building workshops for community groups. Stitches in Time will lead Threads of Belonging, a community textiles programme that begins with design workshops and a regular Stitch Club and builds towards a large textile hanging for the church’s side chapel. Volunteer It Yourself will bring young people who are not in education, employment or training to meet the design team, craftspeople and students, and new volunteer roles will support welcome, events and the Heritage Studio.
A sustainable future
The Development phase will also progress the church’s conservation needs and its journey towards net zero, including proposals to replace outdated heating, so that the building can continue to be used and enjoyed as a warm and welcoming space in the City.
The award will fund the project team to complete the designs, activities and business plan, including ways to build income from Host Café, needed to prepare a Delivery-phase application. Without this support, the plans to repair and open up the church could not progress.
Revd Paul Kennedy, Guild Vicar of St Mary Aldermary, said: “St Mary Aldermary has always been a place of welcome in the heart of the City – somewhere to pause amid its busyness, and where people who are too often overlooked can find community, reflection and a sense of belonging. We have a responsibility to care for this remarkable church so that it continues to serve people in the years ahead.
“This award gives us the opportunity to develop ambitious plans for its future, bringing together care for the building and its heritage with new ways for people to take part in the life of the church and connect with one another. We are enormously grateful to National Lottery players.”
Stuart McLeod, Director of England – London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “St Mary Aldermary is an extraordinary place where heritage and community come together in the heart of the City of London. Thanks to National Lottery players, this development funding will help progress plans to care for this remarkable Wren church and strengthen its role as a welcoming space for everyone. At the Heritage Fund, we’re committed to helping our historic places of worship, supporting them with the challenges faced today but also looking towards a more resilient and sustainable future. This project is a fantastic example of this and we look forward to working with the project team as they progress their plans to apply for a full Heritage Fund grant at a later date.”
