St Martin's Church, Ruislip

St Martin’s Church stands at the northern end of Ruislip High Street in the London Borough of Hillingdon. The present chancel and nave date from the 13th century, though the first church on the site appears in the 1086 Domesday Book. The church was rebuilt in 1245 when the parish grew, and stones from the original Norman building still lie in the grounds. English Heritage has listed the church as Grade I since January 1950. It sits close to the Manor Farm site, where the Proctor-General of Bec Abbey once lived. The church’s history reflects Ruislip’s changing fortunes. The Bec Abbey monks named it after Saint Martin of Tours and rebuilt it in the 13th century under William de Guineville. After the Hundred Years War, the building passed to the Dean and Canons of Windsor, who added the chancel in the 15th century. The south aisle was rebuilt by parishioners in 1440, and the tower with its bells was completed soon after. In 1870, George Gilbert Scott carried out a major restoration, and a rood beam was added in 1958 to honour the Gower family. Inside, visitors find a 13th-century nave and chancel, a 15th-century tower with historic bells, and memorials to notable figures. Lady Mary Bankes, who defended Corfe Castle, was born in Ruislip and is commemorated here. The church also holds memorials to the Scottish merchant John Anderson, the German singer Elisabeth Schumann, and the British entertainer Jessie Matthews. Near the entrance stands the war memorial moved from the graveyard in 1976, dedicated to those lost in the First World War.