St. James Piccadilly (London)
St. James Piccadilly is a fine church in London.
It is situated in Piccadilly, not far from Piccadilly Circus.
St. James is the only surviving church by Christopher Wren in the West End, and commissioned by the Earl of St. Albans to serve the new estate he had built around St. James`s Square. It was built over several years, from 1676 until 1684.
When the church was built, Piccadilly did not exist, and the entrance was in Jermyn Street.
There are excellent carvings by Grinling Gibbons, including the reredos, the organ case and the font showing Adam and Eve, Noah`s Ark and the Baptism of Christ.
St. James was badly damaged during the Second World War, and subsequently restored by Albert Richardson.
A regular market is held beside Piccadilly in the churchyard.