Clement Danes Church, London, Bezoekersgids & wat te doen in de buurt

St Clement Danes is a Christopher Wren church standing on its own island in the middle of the Strand in London, close to the Royal Courts of Justice. Gutted by bombing in 1941 and rebuilt in the 1950s, it is now the central church of the Royal Air Force and one of the most recognisable churches on the route between Covent Garden and the City.

The story behind it

There has been a church on this spot for a very long time. The "Danes" in the name points to a Danish community that tradition places here in the Viking age, outside the old City walls. The saint is Clement, an early bishop of Rome. According to tradition he was sent to work in a quarry by the emperor Trajan, where a spring appeared in answer to his prayers. He was then drowned in the sea with an anchor tied to him, which is why the anchor is his symbol and he is linked with sailors.

The building you see today was designed by Wren and finished in 1682. On the night of 10 May 1941 incendiary bombs set it alight, and only the walls and tower survived. It was rebuilt with money raised by public appeal and re-consecrated in 1958 as the RAF church. A Latin plaque inside sums it up: Wren built it, war destroyed it, the RAF restored it. The bells are said to be the ones in the nursery rhyme "Oranges and Lemons", though other London churches make the same claim, and they still ring out the tune at set times through the day.

What to look for

• The statue of Samuel Johnson, compiler of the first major English dictionary, stands outside at the east end, and he is known to have worshipped in this church.
• Statues of senior RAF commanders stand in front of the church, a clear sign of its role as the air force memorial.
• Inside, the floor is set with RAF squadron badges, and Books of Remembrance record the airmen and airwomen who died in service.
• The tower and the pale Portland stone walls show how much of Wren's original design was saved and put back together after the bombing.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 20 to 30 minutes to look around the outside and go in, longer if you want to read the memorials.
• Check current opening hours before you go, as the church can close for services and events.
• The traffic on the Strand is loud, so stop on the pavement or inside to take in the details and listen for the bells.
• Nearby you can reach the Royal Courts of Justice, the Temple area and Fleet Street on foot in a few minutes.

See it on a quest

The Wizard's Mystery: Unveil London’s Dark Secrets Escape Game is a good way to see the church as part of a longer walk through the area. You reach it on foot as one stop on the route, the app tells you about the place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Elle Silver & the Merchant Explorer: St Paul's and Temple, London takes you between St Paul's and the Temple district, with this church as one of the places you stop at. At each stop the app gives you the background, then sets a puzzle in the street around you. One ticket covers the whole group, and you can start whenever you like.