St George’s Church - Bloomsbury

St George’s Church - Bloomsbury - classical architecture

King George I

There is a statue of King George I (1745) in Roman costume, at the top of the spire of St George’s Church, Bloomsbury.  The stepped tower was influenced by the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus.

The church was founded in 1730, and the land upon which it stands was bought by Lady Russell; the church is a Grade I listed building. The area of Bloomsbury was developed into a fashionable residential district by the Russell family - Russell Square (Earls of Bedford).

The church was built because of the ‘1711 Fifty New Churches Act’ (churches to be built in London) but in fact only 12 churches were built and referred to as ‘Queen Anne Churches’.

(The funeral service of Emily Watson, suffragette, took place in St George’s Church.)

The church is located next to the Bloomsbury Thistle Hotel and is a short walk from the British Museum. Nearest tube station Holborn - walking distance 5 minutes via Holborn/A40.