St Dunstan in the East Church Garden, Church garden in City of London, England
St Dunstan in the East is a garden built on the ruins of a former church located in the City of London. The space features preserved stone walls covered with climbing vegetation, a central fountain, and benches arranged throughout the site.
The church began in 1100 and sustained severe damage during the Great Fire of 1666, leading Christopher Wren to design a replacement steeple around 1701. Following 20th-century destruction, the site was transformed into a public garden during the 1970s.
The garden honors St Dunstan, an Anglo-Saxon bishop whose memory shaped the medieval community that once gathered here. Today visitors experience how Londoners have transformed a damaged religious site into a shared green space where stone and vegetation coexist.
The location is convenient between Monument and Tower Hill stations, making it easy to reach on foot. Access is generally straightforward, though wet weather can make the pathways slippery due to the surrounding vegetation and damp stone surfaces.
The preserved Gothic arches and windows create unexpected sight lines framing modern skyscrapers through medieval stone structures. This contrast between surviving historic details and the contemporary architecture surrounding the site makes the experience distinctly memorable.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
