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Church of St Martin in the Fields

A Grade I Listed Building in St James's, London

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.5088 / 51°30'31"N

Longitude: -0.1267 / 0°7'36"W

OS Eastings: 530102

OS Northings: 180541

OS Grid: TQ301805

Mapcode National: GBR HF.Q9

Mapcode Global: VHGQZ.RBDP

Plus Code: 9C3XGV5F+G8

Entry Name: Church of St Martin in the Fields

Listing Date: 24 February 1958

Last Amended: 5 February 1970

Grade: I

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1217661

English Heritage Legacy ID: 207262

Also known as: St Martin-in-the-Fields

ID on this website: 101217661

Location: London, Westminster, London, WC2N

County: London

District: City of Westminster

Electoral Ward/Division: St James's

Parish: Non Civil Parish

Built-Up Area: City of Westminster

Traditional County: Middlesex

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Greater London

Church of England Parish: St Martin-in-the-Fields

Church of England Diocese: London

Tagged with: Church building Tourist attraction Greek Revival architecture Georgian architecture

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Description


TQ 3080 NW CITY OF WESTMINSTER TRAFALGAR SQUARE, WC2
72/135
Church of St Martin-in-
24.2.58 the Fields
G.V. I
Parish Church. 1722-26 by James Gibbs. Portland stone, leaded roof. Highly
influential design combining (incongruously) Vitruvian temple with steeple
and very restrained, minor use of Baroque detail (in tactfully judged political
contrast to St Mary-le-Strand). Giant Corinthian hexastyle, 2 column deep
portico, on podium of steps, carrying the pediment-gable end continuation of
the roof line. The west front proper has one extra bay each side (of portico)
and staged tower and steeple rise above it behind the portico. These end bays
are flanked by giant Corinthian pilasters and their returns are emphasised as
the tower bay by giant Corinthian columns in antis; 5 bays of 2 tiers of
semicircular arched "Gibbs surround" windows then express the body of the
church, terminating in a similarly emphasised bay to that of tower. Large
Venetian east window. Fine interior, evolving from Wren's St Clement Danes and
St James's Piccadilly, with a giant order as used by Hawksmoor carrying arches
and the segmental tunnel vault, the inevitable galleries butting into column
shafts. The chancel is narrower than the nave with noteworthy and theatrical
feature of boxes to sides (that to north the Royal Pew) set on splay as a
transition between nave and chancel. Fine plasterwork by Artari and Bagutti,
fittings and momuments, lowered box-pews, etc. It was Nash who isolated the
church as part of his West Strand Improvements, integrating it with the
composition of Trafalgar Square.
Survey of London; Vol XX
Georgian London; John Summerson.
London Vol I: N Pevsner.


Listing NGR: TQ3010280538

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