St Paul's Church, Covent Garden, Westminster, London. Open daily (phone in advance for any planned closures). Free entry.

Details

Accessibility:

There are five entrances to the church - two on the Piazza, one on King Street, one on Henrietta Street, and one on Bedford Street, with the latter two both offering wheelchair access. There is also a ramp at the steps the main nave of the church. There is a disability toilet available upon request, although there are no public toilets on site.  The closest public toilets are next to the portico of the church in the main piazza.

Sadly, there is no Shopmobility motorised scooter hire in central London, however, all of the latest-built taxes and buses must be disability accessible. The one exception to this is the No.15 London heritage route which runs with the iconic old AEC Routemaster double-decker bus (built between the 1950s and 1960s) which has a rear open entrance to enable passengers to get on and off quickly. 

Brief Description:

St Paul's Church is a Grade I listed church dating back to 1630, when it was commissioned by the 4th Earl of Bedford. The original building was badly damaged by fire in 1795 but the main structure was saved. Later the floor was raised resulting in two doors in the grand, stone-faced, portico'd west end - which faces onto the piazza - being blocked up. The main entrance is on the east end which is faced with red brick.

The church has strong theatrical links and is also known as the Actors' Church, as well as being the home to a professional chamber orchestra - The Orchestra of St Paul's.

As well as regular services the church hosts events throughout the year. See the website for details.

Further Information:

Address:

St Paul’s Church, Bedford St, London, WC2E 9ED

Telephone:

020 7836 5221

Email:

info@actorschurch.org

Website:

http://actorschurch.org/contact/

Opening Hours:

MONDAY to FRIDAY: 08:30am-5:00pm (later if hosting an event)

SATURDAY: Opening times depend on events (please see the ‘what’s on’ section of the website)

SUNDAY: 09:00am-1:00pm (5:00pm when there is evensong)

It is advisable to phone in advance if planning a special visit to ensure the church will be open.

Directions:

St Paul's Church is located at the end of the Piazza in Covent Garden on the north side of the Thames surrounded by King Street, Bedford Street and Henrietta Street.

The nearest tube station is either Covent Garden (on the Piccadilly line)  and the nearest train station is Charing Cross.

OS TQ303808

Transport:

The London Congestion Charge Zone  (https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/congestion-charge/congestion-charge-zone ) runs from Monday to Friday and motorists have ample signage to alert them to the entry points; only vehicles that are registered by the DVLA as ‘Disabled Tax-Exempt’ are NOT liable to the Charge.  Disabled Tax-Exempt drivers can also use the Dartford Crossing which is a river crossing to the east of London which links the north and south of the M25 orbital motorway.  Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) automatically identifies the registration number plate of these vehicles so that their owners do not need to take any additional action.

If travelling by car, for specific directions it is best to use a satnav, but please be aware that the route may take you in and out of the Central London Congestion Charge zone. It is best to approach Central London using public transport.

There is an excellent public transport system throughout London and Greater London. For more information on buses, trains (including the Tube), airports and river traffic please contact Transport For London on 0343 222 1234 (Textphone 0800 112 3456). For further details on accessible services please see the website: https://tfl.gov.uk/

Amenities:

There are no amenities on site, but you can find plenty of places for food and drink in the surrounding area.