Image credit: Mike Quinn / Geograph Britain and Ireland · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 2011-10-12 ↗
St Etheldreda’s: A Medieval Chapel and a Seventh-Century Saint’s Relic
Ely Place · St Paul’s → Newgate → Smithfield → Clerkenwell · Medieval Catholic church / relic / hidden courtyard
Story
Ely Place is an anomaly in itself: a quiet, enclosed street, a small oasis hidden behind Holborn. Within it, St Etheldreda’s survives, one of the few medieval churches in London to escape both the Great Fire and later waves of demolition. The chapel was built in the thirteenth century for the Bishops of Ely, whose London residence stood here, and from its origins it retains the exceptional Gothic tracery in its windows. After the Reformation, the building passed through different uses before returning to Roman Catholic worship in the nineteenth century. Its most intimate connection is with St Etheldreda—or Æthelthryth—the seventh-century Anglo-Saxon queen and abbess who founded Ely. The church preserves, in a reliquary, a relic traditionally identified as part of her hand. For a Catholic visitor, this is an especially significant place, as the object is not treated merely as a museum piece but within a living tradition of veneration. When you enter, do not expect a large tourist display. First, take your time to appreciate the vaulted crypt and the impressive vertical proportions of the upper chapel. Then, discreetly look for the reliquary or any information about the saint. As always in an active church, any Mass, funeral, or service takes precedence over your visit.
What to look for
Observe the Gothic tracery of the windows in the upper chapel, descend to the vaulted crypt, and discreetly look for the reliquary or information about St Etheldreda inside.
Secret detail
Few churches in London have survived from medieval times without destruction, and even fewer retain their original use as an uninterrupted place of Catholic worship across centuries.
Where exactly
Enter Ely Place and find St Etheldreda’s Church at number 14.
Orientation
Enter Ely Place from Holborn. Inside the church, move quietly and avoid disturbing prayer or any service.
Why it matters
This place reveals how medieval London, with its grand episcopal estates, can still surprise us, hidden behind modern facades. Its persistence shows the resilience of faith and architecture through profound historical and urban changes.
Access & opening
Opening and services vary; relic visibility may depend on church arrangements.
Free; donations welcome.
We never show live status. Check opening hours before you go.
Accessibility
Historic building with stairs/crypt; check current accessibility.