Brass Rubbing at St Martin in-the-Fields, London

Brass Rubbing at St. Martin in-the-Fields Church is one of the coolest things to do in London. It’s a great option when you’ve had a long day sightseeing and perfect to do on a rainy day with families, friends or solo.

In this post, and the video linked above, I will go over my How-To-Guide that includes 1. the history of brass rubbing, 2. the location, 3. getting set up, 4. picking a brass tombstone, and 5. the history behind the artwork.  

1. The History of Brass Rubbing in England

The history of brass rubbing in England dates back to the 1800s and continues to be popular today. During the Victorian era, there was a resurgence of interest in Medieval history and preserving English history. Visitors to churches wanted to take home a memento of their experience, and brass rubbing was their inspired solution. As fires and war ravaged churches throughout the centuries, the brass tombstones remained a lingering testament to the ages. In the past, it was customary to create these brass rubbings on the floors of the churches, and in some places, perhaps you can still do that, but now replicas have been created to preserve the craft without further damage to the original brass plates.

2. The Location:

St. Martin in-the-Fields Church is located at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in central London. Dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, there has been a church on this site since 1222 AD in the early medieval period. 

Once inside, its time to go down into the Crypt to explore what’s underneath.  Once underground, the Crypt has the brass rubbing, gift shop and a cafe with nightly events.  When I go back to London, I will for sure check out one of their concert series held in the church or other awesome events in the Crypt.

 The Crypt even has tombstone on the floor!

3. Getting Set Up

Getting set up to do brass rubbing is super easy, you just need to head to the desk at the gift shop and they will help you out.  Once you pick out the brass plate, the staff will cover the brass plate in a special paper and give you a selection of wax crayons for your design.  I recommend using the metallic wax to enhance the design and it will often give it a 3-D effect. We paid just £6.50 British pounds or approximately $8.66 USD per artwork.  At less than $10 bucks per artwork, it’s a great way to have an activity to do in London and take home an awesome memento of your trip. 

The best way to start your brass rubbing is to take a picture of the brass plate before you begin because once its covered, you can’t see the original design. Then, simply start outlining the edges while making sure the paper doesn’t move.  You want the paper to have a tight fit to create the best artwork. 

You also may want to use both silver and gold (as seen on the circular artwork) to give it a 3-D design. I would also note that adding another color like red, can also look pretty cool, as seen on Sir Thomas below. Additionally, some parts of a design can be very light, as seen in the woman’s face below, so I wouldn’t add too many coats of wax or the detail can be lost. 

4. Picking the Brass Tombstone 

Picking the brass tombstone plate is daunting task as there are so many designs to choose from. The collection includes over 100 replicas from churches and cathedrals across the UK and the designs include medieval knights in armor, fire-breathing dragons, Tudor historic figures, St. George and the dragon, and William Shakespeare just to name a few. The brass plates are all mounted on wooden blocks so you can work on them on a table and move them around.  To see the options closer up, check out my YouTube video linked above. 

My friend picked a classic round of St. George and the Dragon while I picked a known medieval couple born in the late fourteenth century. St Martin’s also has historic data on several of the plates so be sure to ask if the information card is not visible. 

5. The History Behind the Artwork

The history behind my artwork was super fun to research.  Just think, this real couple, born in the 1400s, would never have imagined that they would end up as a popular brass rubbing artwork in 2024 but hey, they legacy will now live on forever.  

As the story goes, Sir Thomas and Lady Margaret de Beauchamp were the 12th Earl and Duchess of Warwick and died in 1406. Sir Thomas was good friends with King Edward III and they enjoyed court life until the death of the King and then his luck changed. 

Once Richard II took the throne, things went downhill for Sir Thomas when the King accused him of treason. To this day, there rumored a tower at the Tower of London called the “Beauchamp Tower” to this day.

Luckily, for Sir Thomas, Richard II died and was replaced by Henry IV and soon Sir Thomas was back at court and all was well.  He was the 12th Earl of Warwick and his lands and titles were restored. 

Once reunited, Sir Thomas and Lady Margaret de Beauchamp lived happily ever after until they died in 1406.  That said, they will live forever in my home in Los Angeles and I am happy to see them adorn my walls.

Thanks for visiting my website and look out for more history content.  Check out more from this adventure on Europe 2024 Playlist on YouTube at @sharonfitzgerald.

Explore with me the past, the present, and beyond!

Sharon Fitzgerald, MA | U.S. History Teacher |Former adjunct art history professor, CSULA | email: info@sharonmfitzgerald | IG & X: @sharon_la 

My latest blog posts:

Exploring England’s Roman and Viking Past at Colchester Castle

Visiting the Haunted Lost Horse Mine in Joshua Tree National Park

Brass Rubbing Info:

Address: St Martin-in-the-Fields Church London Brass Rubbing Centre (The Crypt), 

Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 4JH

Telephone: 020 7930 9306

Opening Hours: Mon-Wed: 10am-6pm, Thurs-Sat: 10am-7.45pm, Sun: 11am-5pm

Official Website: www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/visit/things-to-see-and-do

Photo Credit and Sources:

Photo credit for man doing brass rubbing on church floor: www.mbs-brasses.co.uk/brass-rubbing

Seal By J. Harvey Bloom – English seals, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15136905

Group drawing By James William Edmund Doyle/ Edmund Evans – Doyle, James William Edmund (1864) “Richard II” in A Chronicle of England: B.C. 55 – A.D. 1485, London: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts & Green, pp. p. 328 Retrieved on 12 November 2010., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12047525

Shield By Lobsterthermidor (talk) 15:29, 4 September 2019 (UTC) – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81874079

Tower of London By Bernard Gagnon – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3675330

272 views

Explore with me the past, the present, and beyond!

Sharon Fitzgerald, MA | U.S. History Teacher |Former adjunct art history professor, CSULA | IG: @sharon_la | YouTube @sharonfitzgerald

Inquires and questions: info@sharonmfitzgerald.com

For Facebook and all social media links, scan my QR code: