St Martin-in-the-Fields

James Gibbs finished the church on the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in 1726, and it turns 300 in 2026. What the address does not advertise is the second building underneath it: a Georgian brick crypt of stone piers and low vaults, 24 metres by 21, which St Martin's lets for private dinners and parties on a 2.00am drinks and entertainment licence.

The Crypt takes 200 at tables or 500 standing, and past hires include launches and celebrations for West End productions. The Gallery next door shares the same brickwork and houses many of the church's historic monuments; it works at 150 standing or 60 seated. Above ground, St Martin's Hall is a double-height oak-panelled room crowned with glass, and the adjoining Lightwell, a curved glass drum planted with trees, serves as a breakout or catering space. The Courtyard runs 25 metres by 35 and holds up to 300 for a summer reception, with a wet-weather option.

Catering is in-house and there is a dedicated events team. Two small rooms complete the set, both named for people this church shaped: Peter Benenson, who conceived Amnesty International in these pews in 1961, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The church runs its own concert programme and the Crypt keeps a nightly life of its own, so dates are shared with a working institution rather than held by an empty hire hall.