London’s Alleys: Abchurch Yard, EC4

This is a yard and narrow alley that snakes around the sides of a City of London church that’s over 800 years old. The church, of St Mary Abchurch dates to at least the 12th century, and as its name suggests, is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The Abchurch is unclear but thought to be the name of an early vicar.The patronage of the church belonged to the convent of St Mary Overy, Southwark, until around 1455, when it passed to the master and chaplains of the college of Corpus Christi at the