A thousand years of history
The church is built on the site where St Alfege was killed by the Danes in 1012 AD.
St Alfege, Archbishop of Canterbury, was taken hostage by the Danes after they burnt down his cathedral during a raid on the city. They took him to Greenwich, hoping to ransom him for 3,000 gold marks, a huge sum of money. St Alfege refused to be ransomed, knowing it could mean starvation for many of his people, and as a result he was martyred.
Heart of Greenwich Place and People project - rich heritage of St Alfege Church to be revealed thanks to National Lottery players. The project aims reinforce the church’s position as a heritage asset at the heart of Greenwich, reveal and interpret our hidden spaces and heritage for everyone.