London skyscraper plans threaten UK’s oldest synagogue

Fears towers will block out natural light and increase noise around 320-year-old Bevis Marks synagogue

Tucked away in a courtyard in the City of London, surrounded by glass, steel and concrete skyscrapers, is a historic and religious gem: the oldest synagogue in the UK.

On Friday evenings, at the start of the Jewish sabbath, it takes 45 minutes to light up to 240 candles in the original chandeliers hanging from the ceiling of the 320-year-old building.