St Bartholomew the Great Church
Frank T
St Bartholomew the Great Church (St Barts) has stood in Smithfield for over nine centuries, its walls bearing the marks of England’s shifting faith, politics, and society. From its founding in 1123 by Prior Rahere as an Augustinian monastery to the restoration of the Lady Chapel after almost 400 years in 1897, St Barts has been shaped by the major religious, social and political forces that have defined England over the past nine centuries. This essay aims to provide an argument that the changes in architecture, function, traditions and importance of St Barts, as well as some of the leading figures connected with it, can be used as a series of ‘windows’ into different periods of England’s rich past. By examining three key periods; medieval England, the reformation and early modern England, this essay will attempt to demonstrate how the history of one church can reflect the priorities of a whole society, from the greed of a single man to the impact of shifting cultural trends, offering valuable insights into the lives of ordinary people. The Catholic church in medieval England stood as a powerhouse for hundreds of years, remaining a symbol of wealth and community up until the beginning of the reformation in 1534. Throughout this period the history of St Barts offers a glimpse as to how powerful and important the Catholic church was and how St Barts was influenced by the trends of the time. St Barts’ architecture offers one of the first ‘windows’ into the early history of England’s culture, displaying the trends of medieval England through its grand crossing, (the meeting point of the now destroyed nave, the choir and the two transepts) where two arches survive in the older Romanesque style alongside two in the newer Gothic style. This stylistic shift continues further up the building. The lower pillars are thick and rounded and built in the Romanesque manner, while the higher levels show thinner, more pointed Gothic forms. The two Gothic arches stand as some of the earliest examples of the style in London, suggesting that Rahere’s associate, Richard de Belmeis, most likely the master carpenter, was working at the forefront of new design. Their presence reveals that St Barts, like other major priories, was not merely a place of worship but also a site where new architectural styles could emerge, marking it as a distinctly contemporary building in its time. These architectural details offer a less obvious insight into medieval churches, suggesting that, while the Church as an institution was powerful and wealthy, newer foundations could still face financial limitations. This is shown at St Barts by the change in style during the middle of construction, as the priory did not possess the funds to restart construction in a new style. Moreover, despite St Barts’ initial struggle in relation to money, after the turn of the 13 th century the priory would go on to prosper and offer a different ‘window’ into the wealth and sway of the Catholic Church in medieval England, as well as the influence gained by having a presence in the king’s court. St Barts’ conversion from a priory struggling to complete its construction to a powerful monastery, symbolic of the medieval church, was ensured by Prior Rahere’s impact in the court of Henry I. This impact led to Henry granting St Barts defence and property (outside the City of London), as well as a portion of the revenue from St Bartholomew’s fair. 1 The church’s wealth grew as it became more
1 Williams 1970.
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