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The Great Britain Guide

Historic churches · London

St Martin-in-the-Fields

GeorgianFree admission♿ Wheelchair accessible

St Martin-in-the-Fields is a historic church in the United Kingdom.

St Martin-in-the-Fields, historic churches in London

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
30 min–1 h
Nearest railway station
Charing Cross · 0.1 km
  • Free entry
  • Family-friendly
  • Wheelchair accessible

About

St Martin-in-the-Fields is a historic church in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1722. Designed by James Gibbs. Built in the Georgian architecture style. Heritage designation: Grade I listed building. Affiliated with Anglicanism. Named after Martin of Tours. Address: http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q129143. Coordinates: 51.5089°, -0.1269°.

Photo gallery

Heritage listing

St Martin-in-the-Fields is a Church of England parish church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. Dedicated in honour of Saint Martin of Tours, there has been a church on the site since at least the medieval period. This location, at that time, was farmlands and fields beyond the London wall. St Martin's became a principal parish church west of the old City in the early modern period as Westminster's population grew. When its medieval and Jacobean structure was found to be near failure, the present building was constructed in an influential neoclassical design by James Gibbs in 1722–1726.

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

St Martin-in-the-Fields is a Church of England parish church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. Dedicated in honour of Saint Martin of Tours, there has been a church on the site since at least the medieval period. This location, at that time, was farmlands and fields beyond the London wall. St Martin's became a principal parish church west of the old City in the early modern period as Westminster's population grew. When its medieval and Jacobean structure was found to be near failure, the present building was constructed in an influential neoclassical design by James Gibbs in 1722–1726. The church is one of the visual anchors adding to the open-urban space around Trafalgar Square.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

Visiting

Being in a prominent central London location, the exterior of the church building frequently appears in films, including Notting Hill and Enigma, and television programmes, including Doctor Who and Sherlock. References to the church take place in the following novels: References to the church occur in the following poems: The St Mary's Church in Pune is designed in the style of St Martin's. The church may be the St Martin's referred to in the nursery rhyme known as Oranges and Lemons.

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.5089, -0.1269
District
Westminster
Parish
Westminster, unparished area
Postcode
WC2N 4JH
Parliamentary constituency
Cities of London and Westminster
Established
1722
Nearest railway station
Charing Cross0.1 km

Sources

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Nearby

Other works by James Gibbs

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Frequently asked questions

Where is St Martin-in-the-Fields?
St Martin-in-the-Fields is in London, United Kingdom (postcode WC2N 4JH), in the parish of Westminster, unparished area.
When was St Martin-in-the-Fields built?
Built or established in 1722. Designed by James Gibbs.
Is St Martin-in-the-Fields a listed building?
St Martin-in-the-Fields is officially recognised as Grade I listed building listed.
Is St Martin-in-the-Fields free to visit?
Yes, St Martin-in-the-Fields is free to enter.
How do I get to St Martin-in-the-Fields?
The nearest railway station is Charing Cross, about 0.1 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode WC2N 4JH.