St Brides, London, UK - Unique Steeples on Waymarking.com

The steeple of St Bride's church is the tallest of any of Sir Christopher Wren's churches. Its design was the inspiration for the first multi-tiered wedding cake. [1]

There has been a church on the site since possibly the 7th century [4]. On Tuesday 4th September 1666 the church of St Brides was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. The present church was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, and was completed in 1674 [2].

On Sunday 29th December 1940 the church was largely destroyed by a German fire bomb. Even the church bell melted. The steeple, however, survived. [2]

It is reputed (but not certain).that the steeple inspired a confectioner named Thomas Rich of Fleet St (or Ludgate Hill according to other sources), to make replica of the spire in icing. This forms the basis for the traditional modern wedding cake. [3]

One interesting story about the steeple, related in the Church's website [2].

On 18th June 1764 lighting struck the steeple of St Bride's and destroyed eight feet of it. A Royal Soceity committee was appointed to decide upon the best method of safeguarding buildings, particularly whether pointed lightning rods, invented by Benjamin Franklin, should be used. Unfortunately, Franklin was seen as the wicked spokesman of disaffected American colonists and George III insisted that blunt knobs were better than pointed ends. When the President of the Royal Society pleaded that "I cannot reverse the laws of nature", the King replied "Then you are not fit to be President!". Franklin eventually gave up on England and returned to America.

St Brides was the venue for the marriage of the parents of Virginia Dare[5], the first European child to be born in Colonial America, in 1587. [1,2]

1. Display board outside church. Photograph attached
2. St Brides Church Website this site has a lot of interesting information.
3. time-travel-britain.com
4. Wikipedia St Brides Church
5. Virginia Dare Wikipedia entry