The Guild Church of Saint Martin within Ludgate

The first written reference to the church was of a medieval church on the site in 1174. This was rebuilt in 1437 and the tower was struck by lightning in 1561. Before the Reformation the patronage of the church belonged to the Abbot and Chapter of Westminster until 1540, then until 1554 to the Bishop of Westminster, when it passed to the Bishop of London and then to the Chapter of St Paul’s, with whom it remains. These patrons are represented in the stained glass windows in the north wall.