This is the first volume concerned solely with the archaeology of a major late 17th century building in London, and the major changes it has undergone. St Paul’s Cathedral in the City of London was built in 1675–1711 to the designs of Sir Christopher Wren and has been described as an iconic building many times.

In this major new account, John Schofield examines the cathedral from an archaeological perspective, reviewing its history from the early 18th to the early 21st century, as illustrated by recent archaeological recording, documentary research and engineering asssessment. A detailed account of the construction of the cathedral is provided based on a comparison of the fabric with voluminous building accounts which have survived and evidence from recent archaeological investigation. The construction of the Wren building and its embellishments are followed by the main works of later surveyors such as Robert Mylne and Francis Penrose.

The 20th century brought further changes and conservation projects, including restoration after the building was hit by two bombs in World War II, and all its windows blown out. The 1990s and first years of the present century have witnessed considerable refurbishment and cleaning involving archaeological and engineering works. Archaeological specialist reports and an engineering review of the stability and character of the building are provided.

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• Acknowledgements
• Foreword
• Summary
• 1 Introduction
  • Purpose and research setting
  • Histories, documentary evidence and main graphic sources
  • Archaeological recording of the Wren cathedral and in St Paul’s Churchyard
  • Conventions of archaeological recording
• 2 The construction of the Wren cathedral, 1666–1720
  • Temporary arrangements for worship, demolition of the medieval cathedral and removal of debris, and features of the construction site
    • The temporary tabernacles and Wren’s first designs
    • Demolition of the medieval cathedral and the significance of the Great Model
    • Archaeology of the construction site, 1667–1711
    • Disposal of human remains
    • Removal of buildings on the north side of the nave
  • Adapting the medieval chapter house, 1667–1714 (Wren’s site office from 1671)
  • Construction of the cathedral, 1675–1711
    • Foundations, walls and vaulting of the crypt
    • Fragments of the previous cathedral still in the ground, and the extra excavation at the west end
    • The main stair
    • The west end and the west towers
    • The Geometric Stair
    • The western steps
    • The steps of the south portico
    • Vaults and roofs, the dome and the balustrade
    • External decoration
    • Statuary
    • Internal decoration and the church floor, 1680–1711
    • The ironwork
    • Repairs during construction; the small piers in the crypt
  • The drainage system for the site, 1687–1710
  • The railings and gates around the cathedral
  • Buildings around the edge of the Churchyard, and the Deanery
    • The Wren Chapter House
    • Other building around the Churchyard, 1668–1700; the Deanery
  • Use of materials: reused stone, new stone, brick, pantiles and timber
    • Reused and new stone
    • Brick
    • Pantiles
    • Ceramic floortiles
    • Iron and lead
    • Timber
• 3 The cathedral in the 18th and 19th centuries
  • The interior and general stability concerns, 1711–1897
    • From 1711 to 1852
    • The Surveyorship of Francis Penrose, 1852–1897
  • The archaeology of burials, 1680–2000
    • Plans of burials, and whether they lie over original sites
    • Archaeologically recorded burials, 1994–2010
    • A group of ledgers relaid at the east end of the crypt
    • Conclusions
  • The outside of the building, 1711–1900
    • Graffiti within the western portico
    • The west end changes by Penrose 1872–1874
    • The south portico
  • St Paul’s Churchyard inside and outside the railings, 1711–1900
    • The churchyard within the railings, 1711–1900
    • The railings and gates, 1852–1897
    • Penrose’s excavations, 1879–1880
    • Outside the railings and the outer edge of the churchyard, 1711–1900
    • Conclusions: the transformation of the cathedral by Penrose
  • Use of stone and other building materials, 1711–1900
• 4 St Paul’s 1897–2013: protection and conservation
  • The first decades of the 20th century, the works of 1925–1935, and the creation of St Paul’s Heights and St Paul’s Depths
  • Damage in World War II
  • Post-War planning and archaeological work to 2014
• 5 Conclusions: towards an archaeology of Christopher Wren within the history of the cathedral
• 6 Specialist reports
  • Pottery and clay tobacco pipes
    • London and Essex Redwares
    • Surrey–Hampshire border wares
    • Tin-glazed wares
    • Other English wares
    • Imports
    • A piece of Chinese porcelain from Site D
    • Clay tobacco pipes
  • Non-ceramic artefacts
    • A ring or ‘pole’ dial
    • Other artefacts
  • Bricks
  • Detailed notes on the investigation of the nave roof, 2013
    • The timbers of the roof
    • Types of trees used
    • Preparation of the timbers by sawyers and carpenters; evidence of lifting materials
  • Human bone
  • Coffins and coffin furniture
  • Lawrence Spencer, Clerk of Works, and his family
• 7 The engineer’s view of St Paul’s
  • Introduction
  • Description of the structure
  • Concerns over the stability of the structure
  • The material in the core of the masonry
  • Conclusion
• 8 Gazetteer of sites
• Notes
• Bibliography and abbreviations