Church of St Barnabas

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 24 April 2024 to correct a typo in the description and to reformat the text to current standards

TQ 18 SW 962-/1/10016

NORTHOLT FAIRWAY (north-west) CHURCH OF ST BARNABAS

II

Anglican Church. Designed from 1935-39, construction completed in 1954; to the designs of J Harold Gibbons. Brick in English bond, with artificial stone dressings; concrete; tile roofs. Chancel and nave continuous of eight round-arched bays, that to ritual west end very high to mark entrance axis, then four diminutive bays and flat roofed north and south aisles; three broad round arches marking vestigial transept, expressed by facing gables outside, and choir. Polygonal baptistery with stone font to west end. Gambrel-roofed porch to southwest with slender bell cote/tower rising behind. The chief interest of the interior is the use of this continuous arcade to organise the liturgical plan and the way in which secondary features, such as the stair to the east end of the north aisle, are clearly subsidiary to it. The variety in roof forms is also noteworthy: transverse barrel vaults over the high bays marking the entrance range; cambered vault continuous over nave/chancel; aisle ceilings are coffered from cast concrete; pair of shallow transverse barrel vaults to east most bays south aisle. Organ loft reached by stairs under arcade. Carved rood, with cross in the form of an anchor. Electric light fixtures of original design. Two storey ancillary rooms to ritual northeast. Interior surfaces concrete, painted in original colour scheme in roof and at points of emphasis, unpainted elsewhere. Statue of Christ over south portal.

Noteworthy interior features include a stone font. Although the details are of an original character and the emphasis is on formal play and pure geometries, the design is redolent with medievalism.

Listing NGR: TQ1427984773