LONDON 🇬🇧 ST MARTIN-IN-THE-FIELDS

Описание: ST MARTIN-IN-THE-FIELDS

This Anglican Church is a Landmark!
Because of its prominent position, at Trafalgar Square, next to Charing Cross which is London’s Centre point,
St Martin-in-the-fields is one of the most famous churches in London.

The street to the south right next to the church has the longest street name in London “St Martin-In-The-Fields Church Path”.

The earliest record of a church on this site is from 1222 although there were most definitely a church much earlier than this.

In around 1542, Henry VIII built a new church and extended the parish boundaries to keep plague victims from being carried through his Palace of Whitehall.
This church was enlarged in 1607,
at the cost of Prince Henry, son of King James I,
but was pulled down in 1721 to be replaced by the current building,
a design by James Gibbs, completed in 1726.

St Martin’s has always been at the heart of London, offering continued service amidst an ever-changing city.
The doors have always been open!

It has become one of the most significant ecclesiastical buildings in the English speaking world, with many churches around the world built on the design of St Martin-in-the-fields.
Architecturally, Spiritually, Culturally and Socially St Martin-In-The-Fields has helped to form the world around it!

One of the churches in the world modelled on the design of this church is St Paul’s Chapel on Broadway in Manhattan, New York City.
This is the oldest surviving church building aswell as the oldest public building in continuous use in New York City, one of the most well renowned examples of late Georgian Church architecture in the country.
It is the chapel that famously remained standing after the September 11 2001 attacks with the collapse of The World Trade Centre just a few steps behind it, therefore nicknamed
“The chapel that stood”.
It miraculously survived the attacks without even a broken window and served as a refuge for rescue workers 24/7.
It is the same chapel that survived The Great New York City Fire 1776.
This is where George Washington went to attend church service right after taking the oath to become the first president of The United States in 1789.
According to history it was designed by a student of James Gibbs and upon completion in 1766 was the tallest building in NYC and stood in a field.
One of its church bells was made in London.

Some other churches directly modelled on St Martin-in-the-fields are:
St Michael’s Anglican Church in South Carolina, US.
All Souls Church in Washington DC.
St Andrew’s Church in Madras (now Chennai) India.
The Dutch Reformed Church in Cradock, South Africa.
St George’s Church in Dublin.
St Andrew’s in The Square in Glasgow.


St Martin-In-The-Fields was involved in the Anti-Apartheid movement and the founding of many charitable organisations incl Amnesty International, Shelter and Big Issue.

The Vicar’s Christmas Appeal on BBC Radio 4 has been broadcast annually since 1924, now raising over £2 000 000 a year for disadvantaged people across the country.

The Academy of St Martin-In-The-Fields has become one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles.

St Martin-In-The-Fields is a place where people from different faiths regularly pray together.

The work of this church today is informed by the practical Christianity exemplified in the life of its Patron Saint Martin,
born in AD316 in Pannonia, now part of Hungary.
after a career in the Roman army, entered the Christian Church and became “Bishop of Tours”.
He is remembered for his generosity, sharing his cloak with a beggar.

The example of St Martin was followed by Dick Sheppard, Vicar of St Martin’s during World War I, who gave refuge to soldiers on their way to France.
He saw St Martin’s as The Church with the ever open doors.
The doors have remained open ever since!

St Martin’s fight against homelessness was formalised with the foundation of the Social Service Unit in 1948,
and the work continues today through “The Connection” at St Martin’s,
which cares for 7500 individuals each year.

Changing needs in society were again evident in the 1960’s when it welcomed a Chinese Congregation during new arrivals in the emerging Chinatown.
Today, The Ho Ming Wah Chinese people’s day centre provides vital services for the Chinese community in London.


Concerts are very regular at the church, around 350 per year, with many free lunchtime concerts every week.
The Church has an organ with over 3000 pipes that looks and sounds very impressive.

Another interesting aspect of the church is the crypt, now partly given over to a busy cafe.
Internments were stopped in 1853 and the vaults cleared and during World War II it served as an air shelter.
The crypt has many memorials and statues on display that provide an interesting look at the local population throughout ages.

Excavations in 2006 uncovered a group of burials dating from AD350.


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