Father Marcus Walker – who conducted a baptism on Sunday despite suffering a fractured shoulder in a fall – with St Bart’s historian and archivist Charlotte Gauthier

UNSURPRISINGLY it’s been more than just “four weddings and a funeral” over the years at London’s oldest parish church.

And St Bartholomew the Great – where scenes for the Hugh Grant classic romcom were shot in the 1990s – is opening its doors this week to celebrate its 900th anniversary.

Events to mark this milestone started yesterday (Thursday) as a range of activities began, with its first ever art show, and will include a medieval banquet and a tour of historic graffiti on the walls inside.

St Bart’s was founded in 1123 by King Henry I’s court jester Rahere, alongside St Bartholo­mew’s Hospital, which is adjacent to the church and is the country’s oldest hospital.

Father Marcus Walker said: “Before the Reformation the hospital and the priory were effectively one. And the monks were looking after the patients and that was the main sort of duty of the church.

“At the Reformation, the hospital and the priory were both shut down. Both temporarily. The hospital was quite quickly reopened – as Henry VIII realised, it wasn’t great leaving London without a functioning hospital. So he went to the City of London and said, ‘It’s yours, look after it’.”

More recently the ancient Ryegate stone walls and flint have been the setting for a series of smash-hit films – including The Other Boleyn Girl and Transformers: The Last Knight, both in 2017.

The church is hoping the birthday events will help raise funds towards £9million worth of repair and upgrade work needed.

Press officer Katie Harrison explained St Bart’s has ambitious plans for the final century before they chalk up a millennium: they want to become part of a cultural hub in Smithfield featuring the hospital and the Museum of London, which is moving into the area left vacant by the departing Smithfield meat market in the next five years.

As part of this, they want to build a monastic garden and bring their facilities up to a modern standard that could serve hundreds of people each day.

Ms Harrison said: “There’s also a bit of an overall plan about ‘wouldn’t it be great if Smithfield in general was a school trip destination for every schoolchild’! The hospital, us, the museum… I mean, people could fill a glorious day of really interesting stuff. We’re trying to raise the money in the next year or two and be part of that broader strategy.”

Fr Marcus suffered a fractured shoulder and facial bruising this week after falling over at the weekend, but still conducted a baptism on Sunday before going to hospital.

Among the artwork on sale is Where They Go by St Bart’s artist-in-residence Elena Unger. A Canadian, the 25-year-old came to London in 2015 to study fashion at St Martin’s art school in King’s Cross, and converted to Christianity after visiting St Bart’s seven years ago.

“I came for Evensong and I felt as though I had been transported back in time,” she said. “This is what St Bart’s does in my opinion – it takes you to a place that exists outside of time, while also steeping you in history.

“And that’s what I felt like, going to that first Evensong. And I just never left. St Bart’s is the most important place to me in the world.”

The show, titled eleven twenty three, ends on May 3.

Another fundraising event planned to mark the milestone birthday is a medieval banquet within the church, expected to take place this summer alongside Bartholomew’s Fair on St Bartholo­mew’s day on August 24.

A tour of historic graffiti within the church’s walls is planned for next month.

• More information at www.greatstbarts.com/900th-events