25. ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL.
STATIONS: Post Office, on the Central London Railway; Mansion House and Blackfriars, on the District Railway; Aldersgate, on the Metropolitan. OMNIBUSES. All the omnibuses plying along the Strand and Fleet St. (Nos. 6, 9, 11, 96, etc.) run past the Cathedral; all those plying along Oxford St. and Holborn to the City (Nos. 7, 8, 17, etc.) pass close by on the north. TRAMWAYS. The west end of Blackfriars Bridge, a few minutes' walk to the south of St. Paul's, is reached by numerous tramways from the south side of the river (Nos. 4, 18, 26, 36, 66, 80, 84).
ADMISSION. St. Paul's is open daily from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m., and visitors may inspect it except on Sunday, and when service is going on. The domespace, transepts, and choir are closed to the public. Admission to the nave is free; but for other parts of the church tickets must be obtained at the office at the east end of the south aisle of the nave at the following charges: Crypt, 6d.; Whispering Gallery, Library, and Stone Gallery, 6d.; Golden Gallery, 1/ additional; Ball, 1/ additional.
The south-west Tower, in which are the Geometrical or Dean's Staircase leading from the crypt to the library, the Clock, and Great Paul, is not shown without special permission.
SERVICES are held on week-days at 8 and 10 a.m., 1.15 and 4 p.m.; and on Sunday at 8, 10.30, 11.30, 3.15, and 7. The services at 10 and 4 on week-days and at 11.30 and 3.15 on Sunday are choral. Additional services are held in Lent and on Holy Days.
St. Paul's Cathedral, the largest and most famous church in the City, stands at the top of Ludgate Hill, too closely hemmed in by houses to permit of any adequate general view of the noble edifice. In front of it stands a poor statue of Queen Anne, in whose reign the cathedral was finished; the present statue is a replica by Belt (1886) of the original by Francis Bird (1712). At the foot of the broad flight of steps ascending to the west entrance is an inscription recording that Queen Victoria on this spot returned thanks on the sixtieth anniversary (1897) of her accession. We enter by one of the west doors.
