St Anne's Church

Consecrated in 1686 by Bishop Henry Compton (after whom Old Compton St is named) the original church was designed by William Talman, who worked under Sir Christopher Wren.

This large church was of similar layout to nearby St Martin in the Fields with a gallery on three sides above the nave. The main entrance was via an archway (still visible) on Shaftesbury Avenue. St Anne’s became famous for its high musical standards, and the director of music here, Dr William Croft, wrote the tune ‘St Anne’ in 1708 ( a tune still used for the hymn ‘O God Our Help in Ages Past).

The unusual tower, which is still visible, is a ‘new’ one, added in 1803 to replace the original one of 1711 which had become unsafe. The tower with its clock, which even today is still wound by hand, is with the historic ‘Allen room’ the only remaining part of the ‘old church’ which was bombed in the blitz of 1940.

After years as a bomb site and car park it was due to the tenacity of members of  local community that, in 1991, the present building was created. By selling part of the site to build social housing and provide commercial properties, funds were raised to create the Community Hall and the simple but attractive Chapel which extends into the hall on Sundays. In December 2016 our redesigned entrance, featuring our name in neon lights, was dedicated by the Bishop of London to ensure the church remains a visible presence in the community it serves.