Wren300 marks the three hundredth anniversary of the death of Sir Christopher Wren, one of Britain’s most famous architects, with a series of fascinating events and activities throughout London in 2023.

Wren300 will bring together Wren’s magnificent iconic London landmarks – St Paul’s Cathedral, the Square Mile Churches, Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, the Royal Hospital Chelsea – as well as Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and many other organisations, for an extraordinary celebration.

Sir Christopher Wren (1632- 1723) is seen by many as Britain’s greatest architect. St Paul’s Cathedral in London, which took 35 years to build, is his masterpiece of design, but many of his most famous buildings are also at the centre of national life. They include the south front of Hampton Court Palace, Greenwich Hospital (now the Old Royal Naval College), the Royal Hospital Chelsea, and 52 churches built after the Great Fire of London in 1666.

The south front of Hampton Court Palace

Wren’s epitaph at St Paul’s Cathedral reads: ‘Reader, if you seek his monument, look around you’. From centres of learning in Greenwich, Oxford and Cambridge, churches and palaces fit for a king, Wren’s influence spans the centuries. Alongside his many talents for architecture, he was a keen astronomer, physicist, mathematician, and anatomist.

To commemorate Wren, some of his most famous buildings will host an exciting programme of events across the year. Special exhibitions, workshops, lectures, choral events, and even a float in the Lord Mayor’s Show, are amongst the many activities in 2023 which will celebrate the life and genius of Sir Christopher Wren.

St Paul’s Cathedral will launch a special exhibition exploring the life of Christopher Wren, and the building of St Paul’s from the ashes of the Great Fire of London. Alongside the special exhibition, St Paul’s will host a special Service of Thanksgiving in the summer of 2023 and a symposium bringing together leading academic voices on Wren.

Iconic St Paul’s Cathedral in London

The Royal Hospital Chelsea, Home of the Chelsea Pensioners, will mark Wren’s architectural genius through specialist tours of the 66-acre site, where he lived and worked, his importance as an astronomer through a series of star-gazing workshops and his significance in the development of the London skyline through a commemorative programme of music and worship.

The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich will run specialist tours and hands on family activities from March 2023 onwards looking at the extraordinary life of Wren and the impact he made on this site. Throughout the summer months, visitors can enjoy exhibitions and concerts and a special focus on architectural heritage.

The Old Royal Naval College © VisitBritain / Jason Hawkes

For visitors to London in 2023, Uber Boat by Thames Clippers will link three of Wren’s masterpieces which lie close to the River Thames: a special boat ticket will connect The Old Royal Naval College, St Paul’s Cathedral and Royal Hospital Chelsea.

For more information on the many other events taking place across the year, please visit the Wren300 website.

If you or your group would like to enjoy a Christopher Wren inspired heritage tour of London in 2023, please do contact our friendly team and we will create the perfect tailor-made itinerary.