History of St James's
The tin tabernacle
In the mid-19th century the Great Northern Railway reached Barnet and a new town, which became known as New Barnet, grew up around the station. Holy Trinity Church, Lyonsdown, was built to the west of the railway to serve the new community. As the population grew, they opened another church in an ‘iron structure’ on the east side of the line, calling it St James’s. The Lyonsdown curate played a key role at St James’s, and there was a great deal of shared activity between the two churches.
By the end of the century it seems that the ‘tin tabernacle’, as it was known, was long past its use-by date. There were plans for a permanent structure and the need for fund-raising, but not much was done until the arrival of the Rev W.F. Kerr as curate-in-charge. His first priority was the building of the Church Hall further down the East Barnet Road (now Subud Centre), which was opened in 1906. This was to provide a temporary haven for the church a year later when the tin tabernacle was damaged beyond repair by a fire in a timber yard next door.
A new church and parish
Planning for a new church building now gained greater urgency, and the hard work of fund-raising began. Those who lived in the St James’s side of the parish were largely from the artisan and working classes, and despite support from members of Lyonsdown Church, the realities of building costs forced changes to the plans; there would no longer be a bell turret and west gallery, and the chancel was put on hold. The final bill was around £7,000, and the church was left to tackle a debt of £1,300.
The foundation stone was laid in February 1911 and the new church was ready for consecration by the Bishop of St Albans on 24 July that year. By the end of the year the last curate-in-charge, the Rev W.G. Carpenter, had been licensed as the first vicar, and New Barnet had become an independent parish.
Two world wars
The most serious effect of the First World War on St James’s can be seen in the 103 names on the War Memorial tablet (now in the annexe). The Church Hall became an auxiliary hospital, and in 1915 the church was insured for £6,738 against Zeppelin raids.
In 1916 a house in Park Road was bought for £1,200 to be the new vicarage, after the previous one had been deemed ‘inadequate’ by the Archdeacon.
The chancel was finally added in 1929-30, in the time of St James’s second vicar, the Rev R.S. Phillips, although the debt from this massive project wasn’t completely paid off until 1943.
The Rev Russell Canham arrived in 1934 and led St James’s through most of the Second World War. During the war years, the Church Hall was requisitioned for storing furniture for bombed out households. Activities held in the hall, including Sunday School, moved to the church vestry, while the blackout prevented evening functions. Minor bomb damage to the main church door was repaired by a church member, but there was no response to claims for £65 15s 9d for war damage to the Church Hall until the vicar, now the Rev Ralph Wain, wrote to the Prime Minister! Nearly 20 years later the hall was used as temporary classrooms after a fire at the local John Hampden School.
‘Towards the parish’s centenary’ and beyond
The Rev Ian Stewardson came in 1960 and was vicar for both the 50th and 60th anniversaries, when he looked to ‘the years ahead, which mark out the path for us towards the parish’s centenary... The more we do in the present, the more there is to build upon in the future.’ Ian Stewardson also oversaw the next stage of building work at St James’s. The costs of maintaining both church and hall had become too high. After long discussion of alternative schemes, the hall was sold, and a new vestry, kitchen and cloakrooms were added alongside the vestry downstairs (an area now hired by a nursery).
In 1972 the Rev Gordon Ogilvie arrived, and was soon joined by the church’s first curate, Robert Donald. The church had hoped for a curate as early as 1914, and from 1921 to 1948 there had been Church Army Sisters attached to the church. In 1961 a curacy fund was started as a 50th anniversary initiative, to help serve the growing parish.
The organ that had been fitted in the chancel became unreliable during the late 1970s and a piano was often used instead. Nowadays music is led by keyboard, guitar and singers, with an accompanying band of other instruments.
Over the years many comments were made about the difficulty of hearing in church, with the Rev Ralph Wain in 1949 suggesting the congregation sit ‘nearer the front at all the services’. In the late 1970s the first PA system was introduced, followed in recent years by more audio-visual equipment.
Gordon Ogilvie and his successor in the 1980s, the Rev Geoff Lackey, introduced new styles of worship and outreach, and a series of five curates also helped the church to grow.
The Rev Brian Penfold, vicar from 1992 to 2008, tackled a new building project, and the front annexe was opened in 2002, providing more space and other facilities. Under the Rev Barry Unwin, vicar from 2009 to 2016, we appointed a Youth & Children’s Pastor and redeveloped the chancel. The Rev Laura Hewitt, vicar from 2017 to 2025, developed our links with other local churches, and support for the community. In 2021 she became Area Dean and was made an Honorary Canon of St Albans Cathedral.
The tin tabernacle
In the mid-19th century the Great Northern Railway reached Barnet and a new town, which became known as New Barnet, grew up around the station. Holy Trinity Church, Lyonsdown, was built to the west of the railway to serve the new community. As the population grew, they opened another church in an ‘iron structure’ on the east side of the line, calling it St James’s. The Lyonsdown curate played a key role at St James’s, and there was a great deal of shared activity between the two churches.
By the end of the century it seems that the ‘tin tabernacle’, as it was known, was long past its use-by date. There were plans for a permanent structure and the need for fund-raising, but not much was done until the arrival of the Rev W.F. Kerr as curate-in-charge. His first priority was the building of the Church Hall further down the East Barnet Road (now Subud Centre), which was opened in 1906. This was to provide a temporary haven for the church a year later when the tin tabernacle was damaged beyond repair by a fire in a timber yard next door.
A new church and parish
Planning for a new church building now gained greater urgency, and the hard work of fund-raising began. Those who lived in the St James’s side of the parish were largely from the artisan and working classes, and despite support from members of Lyonsdown Church, the realities of building costs forced changes to the plans; there would no longer be a bell turret and west gallery, and the chancel was put on hold. The final bill was around £7,000, and the church was left to tackle a debt of £1,300.
The foundation stone was laid in February 1911 and the new church was ready for consecration by the Bishop of St Albans on 24 July that year. By the end of the year the last curate-in-charge, the Rev W.G. Carpenter, had been licensed as the first vicar, and New Barnet had become an independent parish.
Two world wars
The most serious effect of the First World War on St James’s can be seen in the 103 names on the War Memorial tablet (now in the annexe). The Church Hall became an auxiliary hospital, and in 1915 the church was insured for £6,738 against Zeppelin raids.
In 1916 a house in Park Road was bought for £1,200 to be the new vicarage, after the previous one had been deemed ‘inadequate’ by the Archdeacon.
The chancel was finally added in 1929-30, in the time of St James’s second vicar, the Rev R.S. Phillips, although the debt from this massive project wasn’t completely paid off until 1943.
The Rev Russell Canham arrived in 1934 and led St James’s through most of the Second World War. During the war years, the Church Hall was requisitioned for storing furniture for bombed out households. Activities held in the hall, including Sunday School, moved to the church vestry, while the blackout prevented evening functions. Minor bomb damage to the main church door was repaired by a church member, but there was no response to claims for £65 15s 9d for war damage to the Church Hall until the vicar, now the Rev Ralph Wain, wrote to the Prime Minister! Nearly 20 years later the hall was used as temporary classrooms after a fire at the local John Hampden School.
‘Towards the parish’s centenary’ and beyond
The Rev Ian Stewardson came in 1960 and was vicar for both the 50th and 60th anniversaries, when he looked to ‘the years ahead, which mark out the path for us towards the parish’s centenary... The more we do in the present, the more there is to build upon in the future.’ Ian Stewardson also oversaw the next stage of building work at St James’s. The costs of maintaining both church and hall had become too high. After long discussion of alternative schemes, the hall was sold, and a new vestry, kitchen and cloakrooms were added alongside the vestry downstairs (an area now hired by a nursery).
In 1972 the Rev Gordon Ogilvie arrived, and was soon joined by the church’s first curate, Robert Donald. The church had hoped for a curate as early as 1914, and from 1921 to 1948 there had been Church Army Sisters attached to the church. In 1961 a curacy fund was started as a 50th anniversary initiative, to help serve the growing parish.
The organ that had been fitted in the chancel became unreliable during the late 1970s and a piano was often used instead. Nowadays music is led by keyboard, guitar and singers, with an accompanying band of other instruments.
Over the years many comments were made about the difficulty of hearing in church, with the Rev Ralph Wain in 1949 suggesting the congregation sit ‘nearer the front at all the services’. In the late 1970s the first PA system was introduced, followed in recent years by more audio-visual equipment.
Gordon Ogilvie and his successor in the 1980s, the Rev Geoff Lackey, introduced new styles of worship and outreach, and a series of five curates also helped the church to grow.
The Rev Brian Penfold, vicar from 1992 to 2008, tackled a new building project, and the front annexe was opened in 2002, providing more space and other facilities. Under the Rev Barry Unwin, vicar from 2009 to 2016, we appointed a Youth & Children’s Pastor and redeveloped the chancel. The Rev Laura Hewitt, vicar from 2017 to 2025, developed our links with other local churches, and support for the community. In 2021 she became Area Dean and was made an Honorary Canon of St Albans Cathedral.
