Try brass rubbing at St Martin-in-the-Fields for creative family fun with a historical twist!
Brass rubbing was a fashionable Victorian pastime that continues to be popular today. Visitors to churches wanted to take home a memento of their experience, and brass rubbing was their inspired solution. With some paper and a waxy crayon, visitors could trace over the brass monuments that were marking burial places and decorating the church. Eventually this ‘rubbing of brasses’ caused damage but the desire to mark a visit in a creative way was more popular than ever. The dilemma was solved by creating sets of replica brasses to carry on the tradition without causing any damage to the fabric of the original monuments or stonework.
Brass rubbing is easy to do and fun for all ages. Our collection of over 100 replica brasses from churches and cathedrals across the UK includes medieval knights in armour, fire-breathing dragons and bejewelled ladies lying in wait of rescue – or you can be inspired by iconic figures such as St George and William Shakespeare.
Once you have made your selection our team is on hand to provide specialist paper, a choice of metallic waxes and to show you how to get started – then it’s up to you to get creative! You can take home your very own masterpiece on the day.
Brass rubbing is a perfect keepsake of your visit, starting from only £6.50 per person and available daily during our opening hours.
No need to book in advance (unless you are in a large group of 8 or more), just ask our friendly shop team about starting your session today.
