The City Adventurers spent an enjoyable afternoon exploring two venues near Cannon Street in the City of London.
The first was The Temple of Mithras.
The remains of the temple were discovered when Bucklersbury House was built in 1953-1957. However they were moved to a site in Temple Court and remained there until 2012 when they were returned to Walbrook.
Discovered accidentally during construction work beside the Walbrook, London, this temple to the Persian god of light and the sun was moved to a site in Temple Court, Queen Victoria Street, so the workers could get on with the job. In 2012, after 58 years at Temple Court, the London Mithraeum, as it is often called, was returned to its Wallbrook site and re-erected on its original foundations.https://www.britainexpress.com/History/temple_of_mithras.htm
The Mithraeum is free to enter but booking is advised,especially at weekends.
A large number of artefacts were discovered during excavation of the site. Everything from Roman sandals to wooden writing tablets, a variety of pottery and even an iron pendant in the shape of a bull. After examining the display of artefacts on the ground floor, we headed downstairs to the underground chamber that has displays about Mithraism.
The underground chamber also houses the ruins of the temple itself. A timed entry system allows visitors to enter the temple in almost darkness.Around you there is the sound of worshipers arriving and settling into their places. Then the dramatic lighting effect lights up the area illuminating the altar end of the temple. The lights are then raised, allowing visitors to see the full extent of the temple ruins.
Secondly we visited St Stephen Walbrook Church.
This church dates back centuries and the site was built on the foundations of the Roman Temple of Mithras. After the Great Fire, Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt this parish church, which was his local church. The church’s dome was the first to be built in England and the church remains one the most unique of Wren’s churches. The design is said to be based on Wren’s original designs of the St Paul’s Cathedral.
The building is uniquely structured with a 19-metre dome centred over twelve columns. The bright white interior of the church is matched by the stunning massive white polished stone alter in the centre, built by Henry Moore in 1987.https://squaremilechurches.co.uk/our-churches/church/st-stephen-walbrook/
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