The Weathervanes Of Old London
I can think of no more magical sight to glimpse in a London street 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 golden weathervanes for his magnificent book AFTER THE FIRE, London Churches in the Age of Wren, Hawksmoor & Gibbs published by Pimpernel Press, which I heartily recommend to you.
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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The library next door to the Whitechapel Gallery has a fine weathervane.
Wonderful collection. How fitting that the dragon is representing the City of London, which is so greedily ‘burning’ Spitalfields and the East End to engorge itself more. Valerie
Spitalfields Life should have its own symbolic spire with a golden cat, claws outstretched against the property developers who encircle it.
Excellent set of photos and far preferable poring over them than risking life and limb dodging the traffic whilst craning ones neck into impossible positions.
Also put me in mind of that famous Carly Simon track “You’re so vane.”
Greetings from Boston,
GA, thank you for yet another tidbit about London history …
…… just – lovely, thankyou GA …..
Did you know that there’s another superb Dragon on top of the church by Spa Road, Bermondsey?
I had heard of summers spent hop picking by East Enders.
Until the Darling Buds of May, I hadn’t given it much thought.
I thank you for the photo’s. It’s always wonderful to see period pictures
working class people going about their daily life.
I wonder if family members recognize their own ?
D.
PS I grew up on a farm. The work was hard. Hot and dirty in the summer.
Cold and dirty in the winter….but the smell’s of fresh fruit and vegetables,
still lingers in my mind.
Thanks a lot for this article, I live in Santiago de Compostela (Spain) but I love London and the weaher-vanes , I don´t know why, maybe since I was four years old and I walked with my father on the streets of London. My parents were inmigrants in the 60’s