Sir Christopher Wren is one of the most prominent figures in London’s past, for his impact can still be seen all over the city today. This is because after 4/5 of the city had been burnt down in the Great Fire of London it was Christopher Wren who was chosen to rebuild it.

As a result Wren was the architect of more than 50 of London’s churches, many of which survive to this day. And his most famous masterpiece is one of the most well known landmarks in the whole city - St Paul’s Cathedral.

This means London is very unusual in that not only do most of the city’s churches date from the same period, they were also almost all built by the same architect!

You would expect that as a result they would all be much of a muchness, but it is testament to Wren’s skill and genius that this has not happened. Whilst many of Wren’s churches do have common features, it is equally true that each is unique in its own right.

Born in 1632 Wren was educated at Oxford University where he studied astronomy. He had a personal interest in architecture and it is his skill and flair at designing innovative buildings that he is most remembered for. Wren died in 1723.