St Martin’s church

Description

St Martin, London Road. One of Lutyens’s most remarkable churches. 1914–15, the w end by Sir Albert Richardson, 1963–4. Red brick with stone dressings. No tower, but excessively far-projecting eaves. Nave with transepts and apsidal e end. Lutyens planned a three-bay nave and w portico, but only one bay of the nave was built; Richardson completed the w end with a tall window, overhanging pediment, and cupola. Inside, the aisles are separated from the nave by little arches on Tuscan columns, three arches per bay. Big and high transepts two bays deep. Between the two, separating the transepts from the crossing, one colossal Tuscan column on each side, deliberately dwarfing those of the arcades of the aisles. Similar small arcades on the outer sides of the transepts. Bare chancel and apse. The interior is all white with a timber ceiling supported by the walls and the two giant transept columns. (Bettley et al, 2019, p.344)

Bibliography

Bettley J, Pevsner N, Cherry B (2019) Hertfordshire. The Buildings of England. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Also Cited In

Listing Grade

II*

Listing Reference

1174371

Client