Christ Church Newgate Street 1941

Christ Church, Newgate Street. Incendiary bombs gutted Christ Church during the Blitz. Impression of east end of church, built by Wren, as it looked from nave the morning after it had been gutted by incendiary bombs from a Nazi air attack. Viewed from the nave, this painting shows the east end of the church as it looked the morning after the attack. Because of the Pastoral Reorganisation Measure in 1949, a number of the City parishes amalgamated, including Christ Church. Christ Church merged with St Sepulchre-without-Newgate, where services are now held. Christ Church steeple, also seriously damaged, was re-erected in 1960 but the church was never fully restored. The tower was refurbished as office space and the nave area turned into a rose garden with public seating. This is one of a group of paintings John Piper produced in December 1940 and January 1941 featuring London's bomb-damaged churches.