St Olave's Church

We begin our walking tour here on the eastern side of the City of London. As we follow along on Hart Street we can see St Olave's Church. We're starting with this church because of its unique history and representation to those who came to London during the Second World War. Upon first glance, the church clearly shows that it was a site of bombing during the Blitz. The building itself has been restored completely, but one can still notice differences found in the bricks with the clear divide between the original foundation and the rebuilt sections. On a further note, the name given to the church is unlike others found in the local vicinity. The name, St Olave, was dedicated to Norway's King Olaf II who served alongside England's King Ethelred in the battle of London Bridge in 1014. The church itself is believed to have been founded on this old battle site.

As London was being evacuated over the course of the Blitz, many refugees and exiled governments were taken in to the city. For the safety of families, women and children from the London area fled to evacuation centres in the countryside where bombing was either less frequent or even non-existent. In some rare instances, children were even brought overseas to other commonwealth countries with the majority of them seeking safety in Canada. For those escaping continental Europe, the best guarantee of safety was found in the United Kingdom. Exiled Pols, French, Belgians and many other nationalities contributed to a greatly diverse population of war-time London. It was the most remarkable and large-scale migration of people to Britain in its history.

One of the most notable groups of refugees that fled was the Norwegian government along with the King of Norway, Haakon VII. King Haakon VII regularly worshipped at St Olave's Church during his time in London. Following the end of the war, Haakon aided in the church's restoration and rededicated the site in 1954. As you enter this church you will be taken back to a shared bond between the English and the Norwegians that has survived the course of time. This bond has proved to be a valuable asset between the two nations when both aided each other in fighting back the Nazi regime. The Norwegian influence from St Olave's Church spanned centuries from the ancient time of King Olaf II to the exiled King Haakon VII.

This destination is the first stop on the London Blitz Cathedral Tour.