The Weathervanes Of London
There is no more magical sight to glimpse in a London street on a bright spring morning than that of a gilded weathervane, glinting in sunlight high above the rooftops. At once – in spite of all the changes that time has wrought – you know you are sharing in a visual delight enjoyed by three centuries of Londoners before you and it makes your heart leap.
Consequently, I am grateful to Angelo Hornak who photographed this gallery of magnificent golden weathervanes for his book AFTER THE FIRE, London Churches in the Age of Wren, Hawksmoor & Gibbs published by Pimpernel Press.
Spire of St Mary-Le-Bow, Cheapside, by Christopher Wren
Dragon upon St Mary-Le-Bow, representing the City of London
Arrow & pennant on St Augustine, Watling St
Spire of St Bride’s Fleet St by Christopher Wren
Gridiron on St Lawrence Jewry, symbol of the martyrdom of St Lawrence
Weathervane on St Magnus the Martyr by Christopher Wren
Weathervane on St Michael Paternoster Royal, College St
Galleon on St Nicholas Cole Abbey, moved from St Michael Queenhithe after demolition
Weathervane on St James Garlickhythe
Crown on St Edmund King & Martyr, Lombard St
Key on the Tower of St Peter Cornhill
Cockerell on St Dunstan-in-the-East by Christopher Wren
Comet on St Mary-Le-Strand
Spire of St Martin in the Fields by James Gibbs
Square-rigged ship on St Olave Old Jewry
Flaming red-eyed dragon on St Luke, Old St, described as a flea in popular lore
Weathervane on St Stephen Walbrook by Nicholas Hawksmoor
‘Flame’ on the top of the Monument by Christopher Wren
Photographs copyright © Angelo Hornak
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Great post with excellent pictures – thank you!
What a complete joy – and a reminder to look up more often!
There’s another superb dragon on top of ( I think ) St James, Bermondsey – clearly visible from a train.
Greetings from Boston,
GA, thanks for featuring this amazing collection of weathervanes from Angelo Hornak’s book AFTER THE FIRE. It’s remarkable to think about Christopher Wren designing (with some assistance) about 52 churches after the Great Fire of London of 1666. He lived on to the hardy age of 91.
I certainly will be more aware to these treasures when next I return to London…
Absolutely wonderful feature and pictures… Thank you as always GA. And a reminder to us all – always look upwards!
Is that the ship weathervane in Brian Selznick’s The Marvels? Also, if any Spitalfields Life readers have not read Brian Selznick, you must. A perfect companion to this website.
Wow. Great photographs; and a reminder to self to look up more!
Mmmmm.. There’s a book to get which had passed me by. Thanks for posting about it.
I have now got a copy of the book – highly recommended to anyone who likes church architecture. The photography is exceptional with both excellent general views and really good detail shots. For the latter, the photographer used an astronomical telescope on the camera rather than a conventional telephoto lens to get right up close (hence the quality of the weather vanes in the post). Every church that was rebuilt after the great fire and is still to be seen is included and the 12 churches of the “fifty new churches” project are also in there so you get Hawksmoor’s churches too.
Yopu might also be interested in the weathervane on Two Temple Place.