The parish church of St Olave is one of the few medieval churches in the city which survived the Great Fire of London. The church dates from the 13th century (as St Olave-in-the-Tower), St Olave (King Olaf II) was a Norweigan king who fought alongside Æthelred the Unready against the Danes in 1014 at the Battle of London Bridge.
The original church was wooden, and replaced by a stone one at a later date. The church was rebuilt a number of times, much of the current church dates from a rebuilding in 1450, though the tower was added in the 18th century. Although the church did survive the Great Fire it did not survive the Blitz but was rebuilt and restored in 1954.
The church is in the Perpendicular Gothic style and has a three bay nave and north and south aisles. The church has a clerestory. The tower is to the south west. The entrance to the graveyard is notable for it's grinning skulls!
