St Martin-in-the-Fields

The ‘royal parish church’ is a delightful fusion of classical and baroque styles that was completed by James Gibbs (1682–1754) in 1726. A £36-million refurbishment project, completed at the end of 2007, provided a new entrance pavilion and foyer, and several new areas at the rear of the church, including spaces offering social care to London’s Chinese community and the many homeless people who rely on the church’s help. These are in addition to the main hall, where Mass and musical concerts are held in English, Mandarin and Cantonese, and the famous crypt cafe, where over 150 classical and jazz concerts are held each year, in candlelight.

Refurbishment excavations unearthed a 1.5-tonne limestone Roman sarcophagus containing a human skeleton in the churchyard; the yard also holds the graves of 18th-century artists Reynolds and Hogarth.