St George the Martyr, Southwark

You are standing before St George the Martyr, a church that has anchored this corner of London for nine centuries. While the current neoclassical building dates to the seventeen thirties, a place of worship has occupied this site since at least eleven twenty-two. Its dedication to Saint George is remarkably early, appearing here over two hundred years before the saint became the official patron of England. This church once served as a final prayer stop for pilgrims embarking on the long journey to Canterbury. Its location near the start of the historic route meant that thousands of travelers passed its doors, seeking protection before heading into the countryside. Today, the church retains a tangible connection to the past through a piece of lead cistern from seventeen thirty-eight that rests inside, originally used to hold the water supply for the parish.