What’s Buried Under St Paul’s? (Hint: It’s Not Just the Crypts)
If you’ve ever stood beneath the great dome of St Paul’s Cathedral, you’ve probably felt that powerful stillness—the hush of history wrapped in soaring architecture. But here’s a question that might send a little chill down your spine:
What lies beneath it all?
Most people know that St Paul’s has a crypt—and a famous one at that. But what many don’t realise is that the ground beneath this iconic London cathedral hides layers of secrets, skeletons, and ancient foundations that predate even the Great Fire of London.
Let’s head below the surface—literally—and explore what’s buried beneath St Paul’s Cathedral.
The Famous Crypt (and Who’s In It)
Let’s start with the obvious: St Paul’s Crypt is the largest of any cathedral in Europe. It’s not just a tomb. It’s a national memory chamber, housing some of Britain’s greatest minds and national heroes.
Who’s buried down there?
Sir Christopher Wren – the architect of St Paul’s itself, fittingly laid to rest beneath his masterpiece. A Latin inscription above his tomb reads: “Si monumentum requiris, circumspice” — “If you seek his monument, look around.”
Admiral Lord Nelson – the hero of the Battle of Trafalgar, buried in a coffin made from the mast of a French ship he defeated.
The Duke of Wellington – the military genius who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.
Florence Nightingale and William Blake aren’t buried here, but memorial plaques in the crypt honour them too.
But the crypt doesn’t just tell stories of war and architecture. It’s a gallery of art, innovation, poetry, and sacrifice, and it’s open to the public year-round (with a ticket). You can even sip tea in the crypt café, which feels weirdly casual for a place that’s also a burial site.
Beneath the Cathedral: Roman London Lives On
Now here’s where things get really interesting. The ground St Paul’s sits on has been sacred for nearly 2000 years.
Before the current Cathedral, there was Old St Paul’s, a Gothic structure destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666.
And before that? There was a Saxon church.
But even before the Saxons showed up, this hill—Ludgate Hill—was part of Roman Londinium, the walled city founded in the first century AD.
In fact, Roman artefacts, graves, and even building foundations have been found beneath St Paul’s. Archaeologists have unearthed bits of:
Roman pottery
Coins and jewellery
Remnants of Roman-era burials
There’s evidence that this site may have once held a Roman temple—possibly dedicated to Diana or another pagan goddess. While some of that theory remains speculative, there’s no doubt that Roman London is layered right beneath your feet here.
The Forgotten Churches Beneath the Dome
Here’s a mind-bender: St Paul’s Cathedral is the fourth to be built on this spot.
The first version dates back to 604 AD, making it one of the oldest known Christian sites in Britain. It was commissioned by King Æthelberht of Kent, under the influence of St Augustine, the missionary sent by the Pope.
The second and third iterations were destroyed by fire and Viking raids. Each time, the cathedral was rebuilt—larger, grander, more ambitious.
So when you’re walking through the current cathedral, you’re not just standing in a church—you’re standing atop the ashes, ruins, and spiritual legacy of centuries of worship.
Unmarked Graves and Mass Burials?
While many famous individuals have named tombs, there are also mass burials and unmarked graves beneath St Paul’s.
During the medieval period, especially during the Black Death, parts of the area around the cathedral were used for plague burials.
Some historians believe that bones from those burial pits may still lie beneath or near the cathedral site—especially in nearby streets like Paternoster Row, once known for religious bookshops.
Additionally, dozens of bishops and priests were buried in or around earlier versions of the cathedral—most of whom have no surviving marker.
WWII Secrets: The Blitz and the Fire Watchers
Fast forward to the 20th century.
During the Blitz in WWII, St Paul’s became a symbol of hope. Hitler reportedly instructed his bombers not to destroy the cathedral, wanting it intact for his post-war vision of a conquered London.
Still, bombs did fall, and fires broke out.
In the dead of night, a group of volunteers called the St Paul’s Watch patrolled the roof and crypt, armed with hoses and sandbags to fight firebombs. Their job? Keep the cathedral standing.
One bomb did fall through the roof and lodge in the crypt, threatening to blow the whole thing sky-high. It was diffused just in time.
If you visit today, you’ll find a small tribute to these unsung heroes beneath the dome.
Did You Know?
The crypt has its own acoustic quirks. Whisper in one spot, and the sound can travel strangely to the other side of the chamber.
In the 19th century, crypts were sometimes opened for public viewing—Victorian tourists loved a good morbid moment.
The floor above the crypt is one of the largest unsupported domes in the world. Standing beneath it feels spiritual, even if you're not religious.
So What Is Under St Paul’s?
To sum it up:
A working crypt with national heroes
Centuries of church ruins
Possibly a Roman temple site
Medieval unmarked graves
WWII bomb scars and fire-watch legacy
Beneath the beauty and grandeur of St Paul’s lies a city within a city—layered history in stone, bone, and ash.
Final Thoughts
You don’t have to be religious to feel the power of St Paul’s. Just knowing what lies underneath—centuries of devotion, destruction, and resurrection—makes it one of the most fascinating places in all of London.
So next time you’re walking through the whispering galleries or grabbing a coffee near the crypt café, remember: you’re walking over empires, plagues, bombings, and revolutions.
There’s no church quite like it.
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