St Martin, Ludgate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Martin, Ludgate |
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St Martin, Ludgate (with St Paul's in the background, right)
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| Location | London, EC4 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed building |
| Architect(s) | Sir Christopher Wren |
| Style | Baroque |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | London |
St Martin, Ludgate is an Anglican church located on Ludgate Hill in the City of London. It's also known as St Martin within Ludgate. The church has been around since medieval times, but the building you see today was built between 1677 and 1684. It was designed by the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren.
Contents
The Church's Long History
Early Beginnings and Legends
Some old stories connect this church to a legendary king named Cadwallo. A sign on the church says "Cadwallo King of the Britons is said to have been buried here in 677". However, historians now think he died around 682. It's said that an image of Cadwallo was put on Ludgate (an old city gate) to scare away the Saxons. But there's no real proof of this.
The first written mention of the church was in 1174. A monastery for Blackfriars (a type of friar) was built nearby in 1278.
Changes Over Time
The church was rebuilt in 1437. In 1561, lightning struck its tower. The church's records, called parish books, go all the way back to 1410.
Before the English Reformation (a big change in the church), Westminster Abbey was in charge of St Martin's. After the Reformation, it came under the control of St. Paul's Cathedral.
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Design and Features
St Martin of Tours is known as the Patron Saint of travelers. Churches named after him often stand just inside city gates. A blue plaque near St Martin's church shows where the old Ludgate used to be. That gate was taken down in 1760.
The church has a lead-covered dome with a lantern on top. Above that is a sharp, pointed steeple. If you stand on the lower part of Fleet Street, the steeple of St Martin's appears right in front of the dome of St Paul's Cathedral. Sir Christopher Wren probably designed it this way to create a cool contrast between the two buildings.
Interesting Facts and Details
The church has a 17th-century font (a basin for baptism) with a special Greek palindrome on it. A palindrome reads the same forwards and backwards. This one says: ΝΙΨΟΝ ΑΝΟΜΗΜΑΤΑ ΜΗ ΜΟΝΑΝ ΟΨΙΝ. This means "Wash the sins, not only the face."
There's also a unique 17th-century carved oak chair for two churchwardens. It's the only one of its kind known to exist. The north windows were made by Powell of Whitefriars. They show important church figures like the Abbot of Westminster and the Bishop of London.
Destruction and Rebuilding
The medieval church was fixed up in 1623. But then, the Great Fire of London in 1666 completely destroyed it. Rebuilding didn't start right away, but it was mostly done by 1680 and finished in 1703.
In 1669, a Roman tombstone was found near the church. This tombstone is now in the Ashmolean Museum. The current church design has an octagonal (eight-sided) dome covered in lead. It supports a balcony and a pointed spire that reaches 158 feet (48 meters) high. The main part of the church is shaped like a Greek cross, with four large columns.
The beautiful chandelier inside the church is from about 1777. It came from St Vincent's Cathedral in the West Indies.
Modern Times
Between 1893 and 1894, the church had a big renovation. The floor level was raised, and many old burials were moved from the churchyard to Brookwood Cemetery.
During the London Blitz in 1941 (a bombing campaign in Second World War), a German incendiary bomb damaged the roof. However, St Martin's didn't get too badly hurt overall. In 1954, St Martin's became a Guild Church. On January 4, 1950, it was officially named a Grade I listed building, which means it's a very important historical building.
The Organ
The church's organ was designed by Bernard Schmidt in 1684. It has amazing carvings inside by a famous artist named Grinling Gibbons. Other carvings in the church were made by joiners named Athew, Draper, and Poulden, and carvers Cooper and William Newman.
You can often hear music at St Martin's. Organ recitals happen every other Monday, and chamber music concerts are held every Wednesday and Friday.
You can find more details about the organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Some of the past organists at St Martin's include:
- Frederick Albert Bridge (1841 – 1917)
See also
