St Olave

First mentioned in the 12th century, some fabric of the 1270 church remains, including the crypt.

City of London, Greater London

Opening times

The church is open every weekday from 9am to 5pm, except in the weeks immediately after Christmas and Easter, and during the month of August.

Address

Hart Street
City of London
Greater London
EC3R 7NB

The usual entrance is from Hart Street, with the floor well below street level. The aisles and tower date from the mid 15th century.

On the south side of the church there is an atmospheric churchyard and the visitor will find this is the best viewing point to see the exterior of the building.

This was the parish church of Samuel Pepys; he is buried here and a memorial bust of his wife gazes towards the former Navy Office gallery where he once sat.

St Olave's largely escaped the Great Fire thanks to Pepys and William Penn Sr (father of the founder of Pennsylvania), who created firebreaks around it.

Although the church was gutted by firebombs in 1941, it was restored in 1951'54, successfully retaining an atmosphere both intimate and antique.

Key features