London Brass Rubbing Centre and Café in the Crypt
Located directly to the east of Trafalgar Square you’ll find St. Martin in the fields which is the official parish church of the royal residence, Buckingham Palace. Travel underground to the mysteriously lit crypt and you’ll find a mystifying looking café with a difference and the London Brass Rubbing Centre. Step back in time and travel back in history hundreds of years ago and learn all about the age-old English art of brass rubbing.
Make Your Own Personal Church Memento
Looking for something to do on a rainy London day? The London Brass Rubbing centre makes for a creative and fun family day out. Travel back to the Victorian era when brass rubbing and blacksmithing were England’s most common pastimes and make your very own personalised memento to take home with you.
This is a family activity that all ages will enjoy from your young children to your elderly grandmother. Choose from well over 100 replica brass plates sourced from churches and cathedrals throughout Britain and get a little creative. From fire-breathing fierce dragons to damsels in distress, select the plates you wish to rub and helpful staff members will equip you with everything you and your family need from specialist rubbing paper to metallic coloured waxes. Watch and learn with individual and group tutorials and let your creativity escape you in the dark church basement.
There are prices for everyone and if you’re on a shoestring budget in London, it doesn’t matter because prices start from a mere £4.50.
Café in the Crypt
Leave your children to get creative and head next door the atmospheric Café in the Crypt, winner of the prestigious Les Routiers Café of the Year award in 2012. A fusion of trendy and history merged together is what adds to the hip ambience of the café below the church. With affordable prices by any standards, this cool meeting spot attracts a number of London patrons and visitors from around the globe.
You’ll be greeted by warmth the moment you step foot into the 18th century architectural masterpiece. With stone brick walls and high vaulted ceilings, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported back in time. Historic tombs lie beneath you and brass plaques and notices tell you long history it’s a dining opportunity not to be missed.
Enjoy the generous portions of hearty home-cooked meals and if you’re in the vicinity, don’t forget to check out the weekly jazz night every Wednesday evening.
Get your Swing on in the Crypt – Jazz Night!
It may be below the ground and what seemingly looks like a dark hovel, but the Café in the Crypt is far from it and is known to be one of the hottest music spots in London. Sit back with your glass of vintage wine and enjoy the soulful sounds of swing and jazz performed by some the UK’s greatest old and up-and-coming jazz musicians.
Everyone can stay entertained in the London Brass Rubbing Centre and if you and your friends or family are looking for something completely different and you want to take a break from the norm and the usual London sights, this is one place that’s really worth a visit.
