Christianity - local history

Local history

Christianity was already well established in Tower Hamlets before the Roman had left Britain. Today, the borough is home to some of London's finest churches.

Fifty were built after 1711, when the Government passed the Act for Religious Advancement to promote Christianity around the country.

Church profile

This month, we profile Christ Church in Fournier Street, one of three East London churches designed by Nicholas Hawkesmoor following the act.

Christ Church stands on the site of St Mary's Chapel, the white-stone building that gave Whitechapel its name. Construction began in 1713, lasted 15 years and cost over £39,000.

With its imposing 225-ft steeple, Christ Church soon became a celebrated East End landmark and a popular burial place for prominent local people. Police records reveal it also became a target for grave robbers, who stole lead from the coffins and sold the corpses' teeth to denture manufacturers.

Christ Church underwent a major rebuild in 1822. Further refurbishment began in 1966, when a new steeple was added. The last restoration and repair work was completed in 2005.