Church Of St Martin In The Fields

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