The Dutch Church is
tucked away in the vestigial lane of Austin Friars,
overshadowed by Tower 42 (the former Nat West Tower) in the
City. It has a modest two-manual organ built by Willem van
Leeuwen in 1954 in the spirit of the Baroque revival -
suitable for the smallish building of the same date, but
muffled to some extent by the niche it sits in. It aims to be
a meeting-place for Dutch people living and working in London
for longer or shorter periods. It is open on Sundays and at
times during the week also. The Dutch Church in London is an
independent and ecumenical parish where Dutch worshippers from
different religious traditions are welcome. For centuries the
Dutch psalms and hymns resounded in the church of Austin
Friars until, in 1940, the building was destroyed during one
of the bombardments of the city.
After the war, in 1950, a new
church rose on the same spot.
As you can see, the way up to the organ
is by climbing a spiral staircase!
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If there any stops that you've never heard of, or wonder what they are, go to:
www.organstops.org
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