One of the things that I love about London are the hidden jewels of the city. St Etheldreda on Ely Place is one of them. When you walk past on the main road towards Smithfields you would probably miss the old gates of Ely Place, and there is nothing that indicates that something as beautiful as St Etheldreda is tucked away at the end of the street. Ely Place itself is also historically interesting, as technically it is not a part of London, it belongs to Ely in Cambridgeshire and the Met Police are not actually allowed to make arrests there.
St Etheldreda dates from 1251. It used to be part of the Palace of Ely and is now one of only two buildings remaining from the reign of Edward I and is the oldest catholic church in Britain. It survived the Great Fire of 1666, it survived countless anti-Catholic attacks and the Blitz. The church is mentioned in Shakespeare's Richard II and Richard III and Ely Place is described by Dickens in David Copperfield.
I am not religious, but I really like the history and architecture of churches and I enjoy the traditions of Christmas. We had been the Royal Albert Hall Christmas Sing-a-long at the weekend and it felt a bit odd to be singing carols in a large hall, led by a man in a flashing bow-tie and "zany" yuletide waistcoat. The service at St Etheldreda is probably the nicest that I have been too - great carols, incredible choir and all set in this candle-lit chapel that dates from the 13th century. The stained glass windows are famous as are the eight life-sized statutes of the English Martyrs who look down on you from their stands.
At the end of Ely Place there is an unmarked black door. Go through it and you find yourself at the Bleeding Hart restaurant and the Mitre Tavern (1546), one of the most beautiful little pubs in the area. The Mitre specialises in local ale and pickled eggs!
It really is an unusual piece of hidden London that is worth exploring. I have taken friends who have worked in the area for years and had no idea that something like this existed. If this church was in another country I am sure that it would be hugely important and in every tourist travel guide, here in England it is really unknown. There's a part of me that quite likes it that way.
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