Paul's walk, Central nave in Old St Paul's Cathedral, London, England
Paul's Walk was the central nave of Old St Paul's Cathedral in London, a long open corridor that ran from one end of the church to the other. The space was wide enough to hold many people at once, with stone columns lining both sides and a high ceiling overhead.
The old cathedral was built in the medieval period and stood as London's main church for several centuries. The nave shifted in character during the 1500s and 1600s as the city grew and the building became a daily gathering point, until the Great Fire of 1666 destroyed the entire structure.
The name "Paul's Walk" came from the habit of Londoners using the nave as a shortcut and a place to stroll rather than a space for prayer. Lawyers met clients there, booksellers operated nearby, and servants waited for hire, making it more like an indoor street than a church interior.
Since the old cathedral no longer exists, Paul's Walk can only be understood today through historical accounts and images. Visitors interested in this period can explore the current St Paul's Cathedral and nearby museums that focus on London before the Great Fire.
The playwright Ben Jonson referenced Paul's Walk in his plays as a place where every type of person could be found, from noblemen to pickpockets. This literary presence shows how deeply the space was embedded in everyday London life long before the fire ended it.
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