This church was founded as part of Rahere’s priory and has been in continuous use since 1143. This is all that survives of the original vast priory, which was broken up in 1539. It became a Parish Church, which it remains to this day. The distinctive flint and stone chequerboard walls date from the 19th century and were designed by Aston Webb, who also created the Victoria and Albert Museum.

In the 1720s, Benjamin Franklin worked in a printing shop in the Lady Chapel. He later invented the bifocal lens, a breakthrough that allowed people with poor eyesight to use a single pair of glasses for both reading and distance.

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