Completed in 1710 on Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, St Paul's is the masterpiece of Sir Christopher Wren. It replaced the old Gothic cathedral destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, on a site where a church dedicated to Saint Paul has stood since AD 604.
Its dome, rising 365 feet, made it the tallest building in London until 1963. The dome is really three structures in one. A lower inner dome forms the ceiling seen from inside, a lighter outer dome of timber and lead shapes the skyline, and between them a hidden cone of brick carries the weight of the stone lantern on top.
The cathedral has hosted the funerals of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Winston Churchill, the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, and services marking the end of both World Wars.
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