Editing St Paul's Cathedral (section)

==Description==
[[File:Greek_and_Latin_cross_-_Temple_of_Saint_Sava_and_St_Paul's_Cathedral_(St_Paul's).jpg|thumb|upright|A floorplan]]
St Paul's Cathedral is built in a restrained [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]] style which represents Wren's rationalisation of the traditions of English medieval cathedrals with the inspiration of [[Palladio]], the classical style of Inigo Jones, the baroque style of 17th century Rome, and the buildings by Mansart and others that he had seen in France.{{sfn|Gardner|Kleiner|Mamiya|2004}}{{page needed|date=February 2016}} It is particularly in its plan that St Paul's reveals medieval influences.{{sfn|Fletcher|1962|p=906}} Like the great medieval cathedrals of [[York Minster|York]] and [[Winchester Cathedral|Winchester]], St Paul's is comparatively long for its width and has strongly projecting transepts. It has much emphasis on its facade, which has been designed to define rather than conceal the form of the building behind it. In plan, the towers jut beyond the width of the aisles as they do at [[Wells Cathedral]]. Wren's uncle [[Matthew Wren]] was the [[Bishop of Ely]], and, having worked for his uncle, Wren was familiar with the unique octagonal lantern tower over the crossing of [[Ely Cathedral]], which spans the aisles as well as the central nave, unlike the central towers and domes of most churches. Wren adapted this characteristic in designing the dome of St Paul's.{{sfn|Fletcher|1962|p=906}} In section St Paul's also maintains a medieval form, having the aisles much lower than the nave, and a defined clerestory.{{citation needed|date=November 2018}}

===Exterior===
The most renowned exterior feature is the dome, which rises {{convert|365|ft|m}} to the cross at its summit,{{sfn|Fletcher|1962|p=912}} and dominates views of the city. The height of 365 feet is explained by Wren's interest in astronomy. Until the late 20th century, St Paul's was the tallest building on the City skyline, designed to be seen surrounded by the delicate spires of Wren's other city churches. The dome is described by Sir[[Banister Fletcher]] as "probably the finest in Europe", by [[Helen Gardner (art historian)|Helen Gardner]] as "majestic", and by Sir [[Nikolaus Pevsner]] as "one of the most perfect in the world". Sir [[John Summerson]] said that Englishmen and "even some foreigners" consider it to be without equal.{{sfn|Fletcher|1962|p=913}}{{sfn|Gardner|Kleiner|Mamiya|2004|pp=604–05}}{{sfn|Pevsner|1964|pp=324–26}}{{sfn|Summerson|1953|p=236}}

====Dome====
[[File:St Paul's Cathedral Dome from One New Change - Square Crop.jpg|left|thumb|The dome]]
Wren drew inspiration from Michelangelo's dome of St Peter's Basilica and that of Mansart's Church of the Val-de-Grâce, which he had visited.{{sfn|Summerson|1953|p=236}} Unlike those of St Peter's and Val-de-Grâce, the dome of St Paul's rises in two clearly defined storeys of masonry, which, together with a lower unadorned footing, equal a height of about 95 feet. From the time of the ''Greek Cross Design'' it is clear that Wren favoured a continuous colonnade (''[[peristyle]]'') around the drum of the dome, rather than the arrangement of alternating windows and projecting columns that Michelangelo had used and which had also been employed by Mansart.{{sfn|Pevsner|1964|pp=324–26}} Summerson suggests that he was influenced by Bramante's "Tempietto" in the courtyard of [[San Pietro in Montorio]].{{sfn|Summerson|1953|p=234}} In the finished structure, Wren creates a diversity and appearance of strength by placing niches between the columns in every fourth opening.{{sfn|Summerson|1953|p=234}} The peristyle serves to buttress both the inner dome and the brick cone, which rises internally to support the lantern.

Above the peristyle rises the second stage, surrounded by a balustraded balcony called the "Stone Gallery". This attic stage is ornamented with alternating pilasters and rectangular windows, which are set just below the cornice, creating a sense of lightness. Above this attic rises the dome, covered with lead and ribbed in accordance with the spacing of the pilasters. It is pierced by eight light wells just below the lantern, but these are barely visible. They allow light to penetrate through openings in the brick cone, which illuminates the interior apex of this shell, partly visible from within the cathedral through the ocular opening of the lower dome.{{sfn|Fletcher|1962|p=906}}

The lantern, like the visible masonry of the dome, rises in stages. The most unusual characteristic of this structure is that it is of a square plan, rather than circular or octagonal. The tallest stage takes the form of a ''tempietto'' with four columned porticos facing the cardinal points. Its lowest level is surrounded by the "Golden Gallery" and its upper level supports a small dome from which rises a cross on a golden ball. The total weight of the lantern is about 850 tons.{{sfn|Fletcher|1962|p=913}}

====West front====
{{more citations needed|section|date=October 2017}}<!--first three paragraphs have no citations-->
For the Renaissance architect designing the west front of a large church or cathedral, the universal problem was how to use a facade to unite the high central nave with the lower aisles in a visually harmonious whole. Since [[Leon Battista Alberti|Alberti]]'s additions to [[Santa Maria Novella]] in Florence, this was usually achieved by the simple expedient of linking the sides to the centre with large brackets. This is the solution that Wren saw employed by Mansart at Val-de-Grâce. Another feature employed by Mansart was a boldly projecting Classical portico with paired columns. Wren faced the additional challenge of incorporating towers into the design, as had been planned at St Peter's Basilica. At St Peter's, [[Carlo Maderno]] had solved this problem by constructing a [[narthex]] and stretching a huge screen facade across it, differentiated at the centre by a pediment. The towers at St Peter's were not built above the parapet.

Wren's solution was to employ a Classical portico, as at Val-de-Grâce, but rising through two storeys and supported on paired columns. The remarkable feature here is that the lower story of this portico extends to the full width of the aisles, while the upper section defines the nave behind it. The gaps between the upper stage of the portico and the towers on either side are bridged by a narrow section of wall with an arch-topped window.

The towers stand outside the width of the aisles but screen two chapels located immediately behind them. The lower parts of the towers continue the theme of the outer walls but are differentiated from them to create an appearance of strength. The windows of the lower story are smaller than those of the side walls and are deeply recessed, a visual indication of the thickness of the wall. The paired pilasters at each corner project boldly.

Above the main [[cornice]], which unites the towers with the portico and the outer walls, the details are boldly scaled in order to read well from the street below and from a distance. The towers rise above the cornice from a square block plinth, which is plain apart from large oculi, that on the south being filled by the clock, while that on the north is void. The towers are composed of two complementary elements, a central cylinder rising through the tiers in a series of stacked drums, and paired [[Corinthian columns]] at the corners, with [[buttress]]es above them, which serve to unify the drum shape with the square plinth on which it stands. The entablature above the columns breaks forward over them to express both elements, tying them together in a single horizontal band. The cap, an ogee-shaped dome, supports a gilded finial in the form of a pineapple.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.stpauls.co.uk/6-western-towers-c-1685-1710 |title=6. The western towers, c.1685–1710 – St Paul's Cathedral |website=Stpauls.co.uk |access-date=1 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901195631/https://www.stpauls.co.uk/history-collections/the-collections/architectural-archive/wren-office-drawings/6-the-western-towers-c16851710 |archive-date=1 September 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The transepts each have a semi-circular entrance portico. Wren was inspired in the design by studying engravings of [[Pietro da Cortona]]'s Baroque facade of [[Santa Maria della Pace]] in Rome.{{sfn|Leapman|1995}}{{page needed|date=February 2016}} These projecting arcs echo the shape of the apse at the eastern end of the building.

{{multiple image
 | total_width= 550
|align = centre
|direction = horizontal
|header_align =
|header =
|image1 = St_Pauls_Cathedral_from_West_-_Feb_2007.jpg
|alt1 =
|caption1 = The west front of St Paul's Cathedral at night
|image2 = St Pauls Cathedral West Front.jpg
|alt2 =
|caption2 = West front from the street, between encroaching buildings
|image3 = St Paul's Cathedral, London, England - Jan 2010 edit.jpg
|alt3 =
|caption3 = St Paul's from the southeast, with the tower of the destroyed Church of [[St Augustine Watling Street|St Augustine, Watling Street]] to the right
}}

====Walls====
The building is of two storeys of ashlar masonry, above a basement, and surrounded by a balustrade above the upper cornice. The balustrade was added, against Wren's wishes, in 1718.{{sfn|Leapman|1995}}{{page needed|date=February 2016}} The internal bays are marked externally by paired pilasters with Corinthian capitals at the lower level and Composite at the upper level. Where the building behind is of only one story (at the aisles of both nave and choir), the upper story of the exterior wall is a sham.{{sfn|Fletcher|1962|p=913}} It serves a dual purpose of supporting the buttresses of the vault and providing a satisfying appearance when viewed rising above buildings at the height of the 17th-century city. This appearance may still be seen from across the [[River Thames]].

Between the pilasters on both levels are windows. Those of the lower storey have semi-circular heads and are surrounded by continuous mouldings of a Roman style, rising to decorative keystones. Beneath each window is a floral swag by Grinling Gibbons, constituting the finest stone carving on the building and some of the greatest architectural sculpture in England. A frieze with similar swags runs in a band below the cornice, tying the arches of the windows and the capitals. The upper windows are of a restrained Classical form, with pediments set on columns, but are blind and contain niches. Beneath these niches, and on the basement level, are small windows with segmental tops, the glazing of which catches the light and visually links them to the large windows of the aisles. The height from ground level to the top of the parapet is approximately 110 feet.

====Fencing====
The original fencing, designed by Wren, was dismantled in the 1870s. The [[John George Howard|surveyor for the government of Toronto]] had it shipped to [[Toronto]], where it has since adorned [[High Park]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.highparknature.org/wiki/wiki.php?n=History.FenceStory |title=The Story of a Fence |access-date=12 April 2020 |archive-date=10 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200210102450/http://www.highparknature.org/wiki/wiki.php?n=History.FenceStory |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Interior===
{{multiple image
 | total_width= 400
|align = left
|direction = horizontal
|header_align =
|header =
|image1 = St Paul's Cathedral Nave, London, UK - Diliff.jpg
|alt1 =
|caption1 = The nave, looking towards the choir
|image2 = St Paul's Cathedral Choir looking west, London, UK - Diliff.jpg
|alt2 =
|caption2 = The choir, looking towards the nave
}}

Internally, St Paul's has a nave and choir in each of its three bays. The entrance from the west portico is through a square domed narthex, flanked by chapels: the Chapel of St Dunstan to the north and the Chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George to the south.{{sfn|Fletcher|1962|p=906}} The nave is {{convert|91|ft|m}} in height and is separated from the aisles by an arcade of piers with attached Corinthian pilasters rising to an entablature. The bays, and therefore the vault compartments, are rectangular, but Wren roofed these spaces with saucer-shaped domes and surrounded the [[clerestory]] windows with [[lunettes]].{{sfn|Fletcher|1962|p=906}} The vaults of the choir are decorated with mosaics by Sir [[William Blake Richmond]].{{sfn|Fletcher|1962|p=906}} The dome and the apse of the choir are all approached through wide arches with coffered vaults, which contrast with the smooth surface of the domes and punctuate the division between the main spaces. The transepts extend to the north and south of the dome and are called (in this instance) the North Choir and the South Choir.

The [[Choir (architecture)|choir]] holds the stalls for the clergy, cathedral officers, and the choir, and the organ. These wooden fittings, including the pulpit and Bishop's throne, were designed in Wren's office and built by joiners. The carvings are the work of [[Grinling Gibbons]] whom Summerson describes as having "astonishing facility", suggesting that Gibbons' aim was to reproduce popular Dutch flower painting in wood.{{sfn|Summerson|1953|pp=238{{ndash}}240}} [[Jean Tijou]], a French metalworker, provided various wrought iron and gilt grilles, gates, and balustrades of elaborate design, of which many pieces have now been combined into the gates near the sanctuary.{{sfn|Summerson|1953|pp=238{{ndash}}40}}

The cathedral is some {{convert|574|ft|m}} in length (including the portico of the Great West Door), of which {{convert|223|ft|m}} is the nave and {{convert|167|ft|m}} is the choir. The width of the nave is {{convert|121|ft|m}} and across the transepts is {{convert|246|ft|m}}.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.thehistorychannel.co.uk/site/encyclopedia/article_show/St_Pauls_Cathedral/m0016968.html?from=hotlink |title=St. Paul's Cathedral |publisher=[[The History Channel]] |access-date=18 April 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080523102550/http://www.thehistorychannel.co.uk/site/encyclopedia/article_show/St_Pauls_Cathedral/m0016968.html?from=hotlink |archive-date=23 May 2008 }}</ref> The cathedral is slightly shorter but somewhat wider than Old St Paul's.

====Dome====
{{multiple image
 | total_width= 350
|align = right
|direction = horizontal
|header_align =
|header =
|image1 = St Paul's Cathedral Interior Dome 3, London, UK - Diliff.jpg
|alt1 =
|caption1 = The interior of the dome showing how [[Sir James Thornhill|Thornhill]]'s painting continues an illusion of the real architectural features
|image2 = St Paul's Cathedral Interior Dome 2 crop, London, UK - Diliff.jpg
|alt2 =
|caption2 = This view of an arch spanning the aisle shows how [[Sir Christopher Wren|Wren]] succeeded in giving an impression of eight equal arches.
}}

The main internal space of the cathedral is under the central dome, which extends the full width of the nave and aisles. The dome is supported on [[pendentive]]s rising between eight arches spanning the nave, choir, transepts, and aisles. The eight piers that carry them are not evenly spaced. Wren has maintained an appearance of eight equal spans by inserting segmental arches to carry galleries across the ends of the aisles and has extended the mouldings of the upper arch to appear equal to the wider arches.{{sfn|Summerson|1953|p=228}}

Above the keystones of the arches, at {{convert|99|ft|m}} above the floor and {{convert|112|ft|m}} wide, runs a cornice which supports the ''[[Whispering Gallery]]'' so called because of its acoustic properties: a whisper or low murmur against its wall at any point is audible to a listener with an ear held to the wall at any other point around the gallery. It is reached by 259 steps from ground level.

The dome is raised on a tall drum surrounded by pilasters and pierced with windows in groups of three, separated by eight gilded niches containing statues and repeating the pattern of the peristyle on the exterior. The dome rises above a gilded cornice at {{convert|173|ft|m}} to a height of {{convert|214|ft|m}}. Its painted decoration by [[Sir James Thornhill]] shows eight scenes from the life of [[St Paul]] set in illusionistic architecture which continues the forms of the eight niches of the drum.{{sfn|Lang|1956|p=252}} At the apex of the dome is an [[Oculus (architecture)|oculus]] inspired by that of the [[Pantheon, Rome|Pantheon]] in Rome. Through this hole can be seen the decorated inner surface of the cone, which supports the lantern. This upper space is lit by the light wells in the outer dome and openings in the brick cone. Engravings of Thornhill's paintings were published in 1720.{{efn|Entered in the Entry Book at Stationers' Hall on 7 May 1720 by Thornhill. The Bodleian Library's deposit copy survives (Arch.Antiq.A.III.23).}}

====Apse====
{{multiple image
 | total_width= 380
|align = 
|direction = horizontal
|header_align =
|header =
|image1 = St Paul's Cathedral Choir looking east, London, UK - Diliff.jpg
|alt1 =
|caption1 = The choir, looking east
|image2 = St Paul's Cathedral High Altar, London, UK - Diliff.jpg
|alt2 =
|caption2 = The apse and high altar
}}

The eastern [[apse]] extends the width of the choir and is the full height of the main arches across the choir and nave. It is decorated with mosaics, in keeping with the choir vaults. The original reredos and high altar were destroyed by bombing in 1940. The present high altar and [[baldacchino]] are the work of [[W. Godfrey Allen]] and [[Stephen Dykes Bower]].{{sfn|Harris|1988|pp=214–15}} The apse was dedicated in 1958 as the American Memorial Chapel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stpauls.co.uk/Cathedral-History/The-Chapels/American-Memorial-Chapel |title=The Chapels – St Paul's Cathedral |website=Stpauls.co.uk |access-date=11 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110828111413/http://www.stpauls.co.uk/Cathedral-History/The-Chapels/American-Memorial-Chapel |archive-date=28 August 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> It was paid for entirely by donations from British people.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.explore-stpauls.net/oct03/textMM/AmericanMemorialN.htm |date=28 November 2006 |title=Explore St. Paul's |first=St. |last=Paul's Cathedral |website=Explore-stpauls.net |access-date=28 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070103152619/http://www.explore-stpauls.net/oct03/textMM/AmericanMemorialN.htm |archive-date=3 January 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> The Roll of Honour contains the names of more than 28,000 Americans who gave their lives while on their way to, or stationed in, the United Kingdom during the Second World War.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.stpauls-roh.org.uk/cgi-local/asdsrch.pl#images |title=Roll of Honour |access-date=26 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140806042034/http://www.stpauls-roh.org.uk/cgi-local/asdsrch.pl#images |archive-date=6 August 2014}}</ref> It is in front of the chapel's altar. The three windows of the apse date from 1960 and depict themes of service and sacrifice, while the insignia around the edges represent the American states and the [[US armed forces]]. The limewood panelling incorporates a rocket—a tribute to America's [[NASA|achievements in space]].<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.stpauls.co.uk/page.aspx?theLang=001lngdef&pointerID=861696IhcVLL99drjeoTjrkz39LOQnr0 |date=28 November 2006 |title=St. Paul's Cathedral Floor |author=St. Paul's Cathedral |website=Stpauls.co.uk |access-date=28 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060927145148/http://www.stpauls.co.uk/page.aspx?theLang=001lngdef&pointerID=861696IhcVLL99drjeoTjrkz39LOQnr0 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=27 September 2006}}</ref>

===Artworks, tombs and memorials===
St Paul's, at the time of its completion, was adorned by sculpture in stone and wood: most notably that of Grinling Gibbons, by the paintings in the dome by Thornhill, and by Jean Tijou's elaborate metalwork. It has been further enhanced by Sir William Richmond's mosaics and the fittings by Dykes Bower and Godfrey Allen.{{sfn|Harris|1988|pp=214–15}} Other artworks in the cathedral include, in the south aisle, [[William Holman Hunt]]'s copy of his painting ''[[The Light of the World (painting)|The Light of the World]]'', the original of which hangs in [[Keble College]], Oxford. The St Paul's version was completed with significant input from [[Edward Robert Hughes]] as Hunt was now suffering from glaucoma. In the north choir aisle is a limestone sculpture of the ''Madonna and Child'' by [[Henry Moore]], carved in 1943.{{sfn|Harris|1988|pp=214–15}} The crypt contains more than 200 memorials and numerous burials. Christopher Wren was the first person to be interred, in 1723. On the wall above his tomb in the crypt is written in Latin: ''Lector, si monumentum requiris, circumspice'' ("Reader, if you seek his monument, look around you").

[[File:Tomb of Horatio Nelson on Saint-Paul Cathedral.jpg|thumb|Sarcophagus of Nelson in the crypt]]
The largest monument in the cathedral is that to the [[Duke of Wellington]] by [[Alfred Stevens (sculptor)|Alfred Stevens]]. It stands on the north side of the nave and has on top a statue of Wellington astride his horse "Copenhagen". Although the equestrian figure was planned at the outset, objections to the notion of having a horse in the church prevented its installation until 1912. The horse and rider are by [[John Tweed]]. The Duke is buried in the crypt.{{sfn|Harris|1988|pp=214–15}}
The tomb of [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Horatio, Lord Nelson]] is located in the crypt, next to that of Wellington.{{sfn|Holmes|2002|p=297}} The marble [[sarcophagus]] which holds Nelson's remains was made for [[Cardinal Wolsey]] but not used as the cardinal had fallen from favour.{{sfn|Hibbert|Weinreb|Keay|Keay|2011|p=394}}{{sfn|Harris|1988|pp=214–15}} At the eastern end of the crypt is the Chapel of the [[Order of the British Empire]], instigated in 1917, and designed by [[John Seely, Lord Mottistone]].{{sfn|Harris|1988|pp=214–15}} There are many other memorials commemorating the British military, including several lists of servicemen who died in action, the most recent being the [[Gulf War]].

Also remembered are [[Florence Nightingale]], [[J. M. W. Turner]], [[Arthur Sullivan]], [[Hubert Parry]], [[Samuel Johnson]], [[Lawrence of Arabia]], [[William Blake]], [[William Jones (philologist)|William Jones]] and Sir [[Alexander Fleming]] as well as clergy and residents of the local parish. There are lists of the bishops and cathedral deans for the last thousand years. One of the most remarkable sculptures is that of the Dean and poet, [[John Donne]]. Before his death, Donne posed for his own memorial statue and was depicted by [[Nicholas Stone]] as wrapped in a burial shroud and standing on a funeral urn. The sculpture, carved around 1630, is the only one to have survived the conflagration of 1666 intact.{{sfn|Harris|1988|pp=214–15}} The treasury is also in the crypt, but the cathedral has very few treasures as many have been lost and, on 22 December 1810, a major robbery took almost all of the remaining precious artefacts.<ref name=MornPost />

The funerals of many notable figures have been held in the cathedral, including those of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, [[Winston Churchill]], [[George Mallory]] and [[Margaret Thatcher]].{{sfn|Quinn|2013}}

;The East India Company Trail at St Paul's Cathedral
In 2023, following nationwide discussions over the status and value of memorial statues celebrating the lives of individuals involved with the British Empire, including slavery, St Paul's Cathedral initiated a partnership with Stepney Community Trust, a community-led charity based out of the East End of London. A group of volunteers was recruited to help historically situate the many memorial statues inside St Paul's Cathedral whose careers, actions and views were associated with historic harm done to communities in South Asia. The project entailed writing explanatory texts that situated the highly eulogistic statues in their wider historical context. (These texts are available on the website of St Paul's Cathedral on webpages titled "The East India Company at St. Paul's".<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.stpauls.co.uk/east-india-company-st-pauls | title=The East India Company at St. Paul's | website=stpauls.co.uk | location=UK }}</ref>)

Memorials thus contextualised include the [https://www.stpauls.co.uk/charles-george-gordon-1833-85 statue of Charles George Gordon], the [https://www.stpauls.co.uk/arthur-wellesley-1st-duke-of-wellington-1769-1852 statue of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington], the [https://www.stpauls.co.uk/richard-southwell-bourke-6th-earl-of-mayo-1822-72 statue of Richard Southwell Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo], the [https://www.stpauls.co.uk/bishop-thomas-fanshaw-middleton-1769-1822-art statue of Bishop Thomas Fanshaw Middleton], the [https://www.stpauls.co.uk/granville-gower-loch-1813-1853 statue of Granville Gower Loch], the [https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sir-william-jones-1746-94 statue of William Jones], the [https://www.stpauls.co.uk/charles-cornwallis1st-marquess-cornwallis-1738-1805 statue of Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis], the [https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sir-henry-montgomery-lawrence-1806-57 statue of Henry Montgomery Lawrence], the [https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sir-henry-bartle-frere-1st-baronet-1815-84 statue of Henry Bartle Frere], the [https://www.stpauls.co.uk/robert-cornelis-napier-1st-baron-napier-of-magdala-1810-90 statue of Robert Cornelius Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala], the [https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sir-charles-james-napier-1782-1853 statue of Charles James Napier], the [https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sir-charles-metcalfe-macgregor-1840-87 statue of Charles Metcalfe Macgregor], the [https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sir-samuel-james-browne-1824-1901 statue of Samuel James Browne], the [https://www.stpauls.co.uk/sir-harry-smith-parkes-1828-85 statue of Harry Smith Parkes] and the [https://www.stpauls.co.uk/indian-army-volunteers memorial to Indian Army Volunteers]. The trail has a printed guide that visitors may use, and the statues on the trail are identifiable by a graphic and a QR code, which leads to the relevant webpage upon scanning. The graphic is original artwork produced by graphic design artist Sonal Agarwal and represents a cluster of statues of South Asian persons, men and women, who currently serve as decorative or supportive features of the main statues.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The East India Company at St Paul's |url=https://www.stpauls.co.uk/east-india-company-st-pauls |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=St Paul's Cathedral |language=en}}</ref> 
<!---PLAN: create a "List of memorials in St Paul's"
St Paul's is home to other plaques, carvings, statues, [[church monument|memorials]], and tombs of famous British figures including:

* Sir [[John Eardley Inglis]]
* [[Isaac Brock|General Sir Isaac Brock]]
* [[Charles Robert Cockerell]]{{sfn|Keene|Burn|Saint|2004|p=284}}
* [[Sir Edwin Lutyens]]
* [[John Donne]], whose funeral effigy (portraying him in a shroud) but not his tomb survives from Old St Paul's.
* [[Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener|Lord Kitchener]]
* [[The Duke of Wellington]]{{sfn|Dunton|1896|pp=25–26}}
* [[Lord Nelson]]{{sfn|Dunton|1896|pp=25–26}}
* [[Henry Moore]]
* [[Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood]]
* Sir [[William Alexander Smith (Boys' Brigade)|William Alexander Smith]]
* Sir [[Winston Churchill]]
* [[T. E. Lawrence]], whose [[Bust (sculpture)|bust]] faces Nelson's [[sarcophagus]]
* Sir [[Alexander Fleming]]
* [[Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley]]
* [[John Colet]]
* Sir [[Philip Vian]]
* [[John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe]]
* [[David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty]]
* Sir [[Arthur Sullivan]]
* Sir [[Lawrence Alma-Tadema]]
* Sir [[Hubert Parry]]
* [[Florence Nightingale]]
* [[J. M. W. Turner]]{{sfn|Dunton|1896|pp=25–26}}
* Sir [[Joshua Reynolds]]{{sfn|Dunton|1896|pp=25–26}}
* Dr. [[Samuel Johnson]]{{sfn|Dunton|1896|pp=25–26}}
* [[Ivor Novello]]
* [[Charles Cornwallis]]
* [[Frederick George Jackson]]
* [[Mandell Creighton]] and [[Louise Creighton]]
* [[Roy Thomson, 1st Baron Thomson of Fleet]] --->

[[File:20180629 43 St. Paul's Cathedral.jpg|thumb|upright|The Geometric Staircase at St Paul's Cathedral, designed by Christopher Wren and built by William Kempster]]
===Geometric Staircase===
The [[Geometric Staircase]], a helical cantilevered staircase rising 50 feet with 88 stone stairs, designed by Christopher Wren, was built by [[William Kempster (mason)|William Kempster]] in the southwest tower of the cathedral and completed in 1710.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://lookup.london/behind-the-scenes-st-pauls-cathedral-triforium/ | title=Behind the Scenes at St Paul's Cathedral | website=Look Up London | date=14 January 2020 | access-date=5 March 2025 }}</ref> The steps are only embedded about 150mm into the walls since they are mainly supported by the steps below.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://livinglondonhistory.com/the-hidden-rooms-of-st-pauls-cathedral/ | title=The Hidden Rooms Of St Paul's Cathedral | website=livinglondonhistory.com | date=15 May 2024 | access-date=5 March 2025 }}</ref> The staircase has been featured in several major films.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://exploring-london.com/2022/02/16/10-historic-stairways-in-london-6-the-geometric-staircase-st-pauls-cathedral/ | title=10 historic stairways in London – 6. The Geometric Staircase, St Paul's Cathedral… | website=Exploring London | date=16 February 2022 | access-date=5 March 2025 }}</ref>

===Clock===
[[File:South west tower of St Paul's Cathedral.jpg|thumb|upright|The southwest tower]]
A clock was installed in the southwest tower by Langley Bradley in 1709 but was worn out by the end of the 19th century.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=The New Clock of St Paul's |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000321/18931221/005/0002 |newspaper=[[Nottingham Evening Post]] |location=England |date=21 December 1893 |access-date=4 December 2016 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}</ref> The present mechanism was built in 1893 by [[Smith of Derby Group|Smith of Derby]] incorporating a design of escapement by [[Edmund Beckett, 1st Baron Grimthorpe|Edmund Denison Beckett]] similar to that used by [[Edward John Dent|Edward Dent]] on [[Big Ben]]'s mechanism in 1895. The clock mechanism is {{convert|19|ft|1}} long and is the most recent of the clocks introduced to St Paul's Cathedral over the centuries. Since 1969, the clock has been electrically wound with equipment designed and installed by Smith of Derby, relieving the clock custodian from the work of cranking up the heavy drive weights.<ref>[https://www.smithofderby.com/projects/st-pauls-cathedral-clock/ St Paul's Cathedral Clock].</ref>

====Great Paul====
{{anchor|Great Paul (bell)}}
The southwest tower also contains four bells, of which '''Great Paul''', cast in 1881 by [[John William Taylor|J. W. Taylor]] of [[John Taylor & Co|Taylor's bell foundry]] of [[Loughborough]], at {{convert|16+1/2|LT|kg}} was the largest bell in the [[British Isles]] until the casting of the [[Olympic Bell]] for the 2012 London Olympics.<ref name=Pauls /> Although the bell is traditionally sounded at 1 pm each day, Great Paul had not been rung for several years because of a broken chiming mechanism.{{sfn|The Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral|2016b|loc=Bells}} In the 1970s, the fastening mechanism that secured the clapper had fractured, sending both through the clock mechanism below and causing damage that cost £30,000 to repair. In about 1989 the clapper fractured completely, although less damage was sustained.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg14419564-400-when-the-great-bell-broke/ |title=When the Great Bell Broke |publisher=[[New Scientist]] |first1=Mick |last1=Hamer |date=17 December 1994 |access-date=8 June 2022 |archive-date=3 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220603100125/https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg14419564-400-when-the-great-bell-broke/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On 31 July 2021, during the London Festival of the Bells, Great Paul rang for the first time in two decades, being hand swung by the bell ringers.

====Great Tom====
The clock bells include '''Great Tom''', which was moved from [[St Stephen's Chapel]] at the [[Palace of Westminster]] and has been recast several times, the last time by [[Richard Phelps (bellfounder)|Richard Phelps]]. It chimes the hour and is traditionally tolled on occasions of a death in the royal family, the Bishop of London, or the [[Lord Mayor of London]], although an exception was made at the death of the US president [[James Garfield]].{{sfn|Dunton|1896|pp=25–26}} It was last tolled for the death of [[Queen Elizabeth II]] in 2022, ringing once every minute along with other bells across the country in honour of the 96 years of her life.<ref name="E!">[https://www.eonline.com/ca/news/1345552/hear-bells-around-the-world-ring-for-queen-elizabeth-ii-after-her-death E! News, ''Hear Bells Around the World Ring for Queen Elizabeth II After Her Death'', Kisha Forde, September 9, 2022] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920172834/https://www.eonline.com/ca/news/1345552/hear-bells-around-the-world-ring-for-queen-elizabeth-ii-after-her-death |date=20 September 2022 }}, Retrieved 19 September 2022.</ref>

====Quarter-jacks====
In 1717, Richard Phelps cast two more bells that were added as "quarter jacks" that ring on the quarter hour. Still in use today, the first weighs {{convert|13|long cwt|abbr=on|lk=in}}, is {{convert|41|in|cm}} in diameter and is tuned to A{{music|flat}}; the second weighs {{convert|35|long cwt|abbr=on}}, is {{convert|58|in|cm}} in diameter and is tuned to E{{music|flat}}. They are sometimes known as '''Ding''' and '''Dong''' due to the way they sound.

===Bells===
The northwest tower contains 13 bells. A [[ring of bells|ring]] of 12 bells by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough hung for [[change ringing]], and the single communion bell. In January 2018, the bells were removed for refurbishment and were rehung in September that year, being rung again for the first time on [[All Saints' Day]]. The original service or "Communion" bell dating from 1700 and known as "the Banger" is rung before 8&nbsp;a.m. services.<ref name=Pauls />

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Details of the bells (including clock bells mentioned above)
! rowspan=2 | Bell (Name) !! colspan=3 | Weight !! rowspan=2 | Nominal<br />Hz !! rowspan=2 | Note !! colspan=2 | Diameter !! rowspan=2 | Date<br />cast !! rowspan=2 | Founder
|-
! ([[long ton|long measure]]) !! (lb) !! (kg) !! (in) !! (cm)
|-
| align=center | 1 || {{long ton||8|1|4|disp=table}} || align=right | 1,461 || align=center | F || {{convert|30.88|in|cm|sortable=on|disp=table}} || 1878 || John Taylor & Co
|-
| align=center | 2 || {{long ton||9|0|20|disp=table}} || align=right | 1,270 || align=center | E{{music|b}} || {{convert|32.50|in|cm|sortable=on|disp=table}} || 1878 || John Taylor & Co
|-
| align=center | 3 || {{long ton||9|3|12|disp=table}} || align=right | 1,199 || align=center | D || {{convert|34.00|in|cm|sortable=on|disp=table}} || 1878 || John Taylor & Co
|-
| align=center | 4 || {{long ton||11|2|22|disp=table}} || align=right | 1,063 || align=center | C || {{convert|36.38|in|cm|sortable=on|disp=table}} || 1878 || John Taylor & Co
|-
| align=center | 5 || {{long ton||13|1|0|disp=table}} || align=right | 954 || align=center | B{{music|b}} || {{convert|38.63|in|cm|sortable=on|disp=table}} || 1878 || John Taylor & Co
|-
| align=center | 6 || {{long ton||13|2|14|disp=table}} || align=right | 884 || align=center | A || {{convert|39.63|in|cm|sortable=on|disp=table}} || 1878 || John Taylor & Co
|-
| align=center | 7 || {{long ton||16|1|18|disp=table}} || align=right | 784 || align=center | G || {{convert|43.75|in|cm|sortable=on|disp=table}} || 1878 || John Taylor & Co
|-
| align=center | 8 || {{long ton||21|3|18|disp=table}} || align=right | 705 || align=center | F || {{convert|47.63|in|cm|sortable=on|disp=table}} || 1878 || John Taylor & Co
|-
| align=center | 9 || {{long ton||27|1|22|disp=table}} || align=right | 636 || align=center | E{{music|b}} || {{convert|52.50|in|cm|sortable=on|disp=table}} || 1878 || John Taylor & Co
|-
| align=center | 10 || {{long ton||29|3|21|disp=table}} || align=right | 592 || align=center | D || {{convert|55.25|in|cm|sortable=on|disp=table}} || 1878 || John Taylor & Co
|-
| align=center | 11 || {{long ton||43|2|0|disp=table}} || align=right | 525 || align=center | C || {{convert|61.25|in|cm|sortable=on|disp=table}} || 1878 || John Taylor & Co
|-
| align=center | 12 || {{long ton||61|2|12|disp=table}} || align=right | 468 || align=center | B{{music|b}} || {{convert|69.00|in|cm|sortable=on|disp=table}} || 1878 || John Taylor & Co
|-
| align=center | Clock (quarter-jack Ding) || {{long ton||12|2|9|disp=table}} || align=right | 853 || align=center | A{{music|b}} || || || 1707 || Richard Phelps
|-
| align=center | Clock (quarter-jack Dong) || {{long ton||24|2|26|disp=table}} || align=right | 622 || align=center | E{{music|b}} || || || 1707 || Richard Phelps
|-
| align=center | Clock (Great Tom) || {{long ton||102|1|22|disp=table}} || align=right | 425 || align=center | A{{music|b}} || {{convert|82.88|in|cm|sortable=on|disp=table}} || 1716 || Richard Phelps
|-
| align=center | Bourdon (Great Paul) || {{long ton||334|2|19|disp=table}} || align=right | 317 || align=center | E{{music|b}} || {{convert|114.75|in|cm|sortable=on|disp=table}} || 1881 || John Taylor & Co
|-
| align=center | Communion (The Banger) || {{long ton||18|2|26|disp=table}} || align=right | 620 || align=center | E{{music|b}} || {{convert|49.50|in|cm|sortable=on|disp=table}} || 1700 || Philip Wightman
|}