A visit to the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields will be especially rewarding for people with a social conscience.

Centrally located next to Trafalgar Square, records show that there was a church ‘in the fields’ between Westminster and the City of London from Norman times, but the present structure was built by James Gibbs and completed in 1726.

Although the design wasn’t universally popular at the time, it wasn’t long before copies were being made around the English speaking world, particularly in the United States.
The interior is also interesting, from both a modern and historic perspective. The restored Baroque ceiling is extremely impressive as is the fabulous organ that was built as recently as 1990, but probably the most eye catching feature is the East Window. Installed in 2008, the abstract cross was designed by Shirazeh Houshiary and her husband Pip Horne. From a modern point of view I think this window is quite outstanding in its simplicity.

Many people will already know that St Martin was made a saint for his work with the sick and those excluded from society, and so it’s no surprise that this church bears his name.
Prior to his appointment as vicar in 1914, Dick Sheppard had spent a short time as an army chaplain in the trenches of Northern France – an experience he was never to forget. From St Martin’s he was able to witness the troops departing for and arriving from the battlefields at nearby Charing Cross station and he decided that he would leave the doors of the church and crypt open around the clock for those who needed food and shelter. The doors have remained open day and night for the needy ever since and is known as the “church of the ever-open door”.
Many homeless people still use the church for these reasons so don’t be surprised if you see somebody sleeping in one of the pews while you’re wandering around.

Don’t leave the church without visiting the crypt. There’s a good café down here that’s inexpensive with profits going towards the homeless charities and other work that the church is involved in. I don’t suppose many people realise that St Martin’s was involved in the Anti-Apartheid Movement and the founding of many charitable organisations such as Amnesty International, Shelter and The Big Issue.
The crypt also has a collection of monuments and memorials including one of Henry Croft, London’s first ‘Pearly King’ as well as a whipping post that was used in Trafalgar Square and dating from 1752.

There are also regular jazz nights in the crypt as well as free lunchtime concerts three times a week in the church. Altogether there are over 350 concerts a year making it a popular venue for classical music fans.

There is free entry to the church for casual visitors, but opening times vary according to services and concerts. The nearest tube station is Charing Cross and plenty of buses stop outside in St Martin’s Place

There may be more famous and grander churches in London than St Martin-in-the Fields, but the work they do here for people who need genuine help is a reminder to us all, if ever we needed one, that “There but for the grace of God go I”.