St Paul's, the Actors' Church

St Paul's, the Actors' Church stands on Bedford Street with its portico facing the Covent Garden piazza. Built by Inigo Jones and standing since 1633, it is the parish church of Covent Garden and has been at the heart of the district for almost 400 years. It is affectionately known as the Actors' Church for its long ties with the theatre world, and its walls carry memorial plaques to performers and people of the stage.

The church has stood at the heart of Covent Garden for nearly 400 years, and its self-guided tour, written by the Rector, covers 390 years of the building's history. Today it serves a working parish under its Rector, the Reverend Simon Grigg, holding Sunday Eucharist at 11am, a lunchtime Eucharist on Wednesdays at 1.10pm and a monthly sung Evensong. St Paul's seeks to be welcoming and inclusive of all and is committed to championing equality and diversity, and it offers pastoral support alongside weddings, baptisms, funerals and memorial services.

The Actors' Church in Covent Garden and its gardens

Beyond worship, the church hosts up to 400 events a year, from chamber and choral concerts to musical theatre showcases. Its award-winning gardens, reached through the gates on Bedford Street, King Street or Henrietta Street, are a quiet retreat from the piazza and become the stage for Theatre in the Garden each summer, an outdoor season of family productions that runs through August and into September. The church and gardens are also available for private hire.

What to expect on a visit

Admission is free and donations are welcome. The church is usually open for visiting from 9am to 5.30pm on weekdays, with closures for memorials, weddings, the ticketed summer season and other events, so phone the office ahead of a special visit. A self-guided tour written by the Rector covers the building's history. It is one of the oldest Covent Garden attractions and pairs naturally with the Bow Street Police Museum two streets away.