Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, London, Guida per visitatori e cosa fare nei dintorni

Holy Trinity Church on Marylebone Road in London is a Neo-Classical church designed by Sir John Soane. It was one of the Waterloo churches, paid for with money Parliament set aside to mark Britain's victory over Napoleon in 1815. It stands opposite Great Portland Street station and is one of the more unusual buildings on this stretch of the road.

The story behind it

After Waterloo, Parliament funded a wave of new churches, and Holy Trinity was one of them. Soane, one of England's finest Neo-Classical architects, designed it. His work is known for clean lines, decisive details and clever use of light, and you can see all three here.

The church's later life is just as interesting. By the 1930s it was in decline, and by 1936 the newly founded publishing house Penguin Books was using it as a warehouse. The story goes that books were sent down into the crypt from the street on a children's slide. Today the building is used as an events venue, so its interior is still put to work.

What to look for

• The columned portico facing Marylebone Road, where Soane's restrained, classical style is easiest to read.
• The slim tower rising above the main body of the church, which gives the building its profile along the street.
• The plain, clean lines of the stonework, with details kept sharp and simple rather than decorative.
• The street-level crypt openings, a reminder of the days when Penguin's books were moved in and out of the basement.

Tips for your visit

• Allow ten to fifteen minutes to look at the exterior and read its story. It is best treated as one stop on a longer walk.
• The building is now an events venue, so you may not be able to go in. Check current opening hours and event listings before you plan on seeing the interior.
• Daylight shows off the portico and stonework best, and the busy road is quieter outside peak commuting times.
• Regent's Park is close by, so it is easy to combine the church with a stroll through the park and up towards Primrose Hill.

See it on a quest

You can reach Holy Trinity as one stop on Romantic London - Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, a self-guided walk through the area on your phone. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you, so you look closely at the building instead of walking past it. One ticket covers the whole group, and you can start whenever suits you, with no guide and no group to join.