The medieval church St Antholin (or St Anthony) is shown on Horwood's (lower left of centre) at the point where Watling Street became Budge Row. Destroyed in the 1666 Great Fire; rebuilt 1678-84 by Sir Christopher Wren. In 1829, following storm damage, the upper part of the spire was replaced.
The portion taken down was sold for £5 to Robert Harrild, a printer, who had it erected on his property, Round Hill House in Sydenham. And there it still stands, on a brick plinth, in the centre of a modern estate of town houses. tells the story with pictures.
Meanwhile back in the City, to make way for Queen Victoria Street in 1874 the church site was compulsory purchased and the church demolished. The parish was joined to that of St Mary Aldermary, shown on the same map, a little to the west.
The name St Antholin survives in Nunhead. Some of the proceeds from the sale of the site went to the building of St Antholin’s Nunhead, consecrated in 1878.
In 2019 Heritage of London Trust restored the spire.
For three other similar decapitations see St Olaves.
Sources: , .
Examining the map it looks to us as if the St Antholin church was not actually on the line of the new Queen Victoria Street. It seems to be to the east of what is now the junction of Queen Street and Queen Victoria Street, to the south of the sculpture of the Walbrook River. Interesting.
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