Diameter: 35" Bell 1 of 1
Founded by Thomas II Mears 1811
Dove Bell ID: 54165 Tower ID: 20223 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
St James the Great: Friern Barnet
Overview
Grid reference: TQ 272 929
Old church built probably mid 12th c, certainly no later than 1199. Alterations in early 19th c to tower, vestry, walls mainly flint but chancel rebuilt in brick. At that time it had galleries inside. When the area expanded following the opening of the Great Northern Railway's New Southgate station in 1851 a larger church was needed and the current building of St John the Evangelist was designed by J L Pearson, architect of Truro Cathedral. St James was practically rebuilt probably on the old foundations 1853 by Habershon & Habershon. Apart from monuments, south doorway survives from Norman period, much restored, possibly foundations of south wall. Present Nave, Chancel & Tower are Victorian. Good glass. North extension in 1977, by John Phillips. The land here once belonged to the Abbot of St Albans which was then given to the Bishop of London by William the Conqueror, the Abbot thus deprived of his land joined Hereward the Wake's rebellion. In c1199 the manor was passed to the Order of St John of Jerusalem from where the name Friern comes, meaning belonging to the Brotherhood, but the Order was dissolved when Henry VIII gave his patronage to St Barnet to Sir Walter Raleigh who sold it to the Bacon family. The churchyard was the burial place of Thomas Cavendish, the son of Cardinal Wolsey's servant Charles Cavendish. Pleasant spreading churchyard. The drinking fountain across the road, erected c.1926, is on the site of an old well called Queen Elizabeth's Well and the old pound. It has now been established (May 2010) that the two organ cases of 1887 are by J.L.Pearson and that as a result the instrument has recently been awarded a Historic Organ Certificate (Grade - Certificate of Recognition) for the case (only).
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Closed Church
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
5-bay nave and narrower chancel, 4-bay south aisle with west tower in the angle of aisle and nave, south-west porch. Octagonal north-west extension.
Dimensions:
Nave approximately 23m (75 ft) x 8m (25’6ft).
Footprint of Church buildings: 459 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
The church was probably built in the 12th century and certainly by 1199, the year in which it was confirmed in the possession of the Knights of St John by King John along with the estate of Barnet. At this time the estate was mostly woodland, which it remained up to the 19th century. An illustration of the church in 1779 shows a simple, still basically Norman church consisting of a 3-bay nave with a short tower over the west bay, short narrower chancel, and south-west porch. A vestry was been added in 1807, the chancel rebuilt in brick, the west wall also rebuilt and the tower removed and replaced in 1812 by a small timber belcote at the west end. The church building, and more particularly the site, are of high archaeological potential, and may preserve one of the few relatively undisturbed areas of medieval stratigraphy in this historic settlement.
Exterior Description
The church as it now stands appears wholly Victorian in the Early English style. It has been slightly compromised by the octagonal chapter-house style extension with linking passage, the brown brick and slate contrasting sharply with the attractive speckled wall surfaces and weathered tile roof of the church.
The tower does give some vertical emphasis, the enforced narrowness of the footprint compensated for by a tall thin pyramid steeple with gilded weather vane, the steeple canted out at the base. The belfry stage has shafted 2-light pointed openings, again with trefoil heads, and shafted corners. The stage is slightly corbelled out, the corbels moulded.
The nave and aisle fenestration is of paired cusped lancets, with shafted windows in the end walls, a 4-light and 3-light respectively in the west walls of the nave (a shafted pointed doorway under this window, with hood-mould and ball stops) and south aisle. There are similar 3-lights in the east windows; trefoils in all the heads. Buttresses of two weatherings at the angles and to each bay. The stumps of finials to the gables survive.
The north vestry has simple paired lancets in the east and north walls, as well as a trefoil window above a 4-centred pointed doorway in the east wall, the door as everywhere painted red. A stone chimney rises from the north wall, and adjacent is a lean-to tile-clad boiler room.
The south porch has dwarf flint walls supporting a timber structure, painted a slightly garish blue (the rainwater goods are also this colour), a sharp contrast to the panelled and glazed red door within its simple pointed frame.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
1974
The east window is by Alan Younger, abstract shapes around a central cross within a vesica, warm reds against clear glass. In memory of Mabel Nicholls. It replaced a very poor Victorian window.
Stained Glass
1910-28
The nave has three stained glass windows by Clayton & Bell of c 1910-28.
Stained Glass
1914-16
South aisle stained glass windows by Clayton & Bell
Chancel
19th century Modern, light-stained furniture and strikes quite a different note with its late C20 stained glass. A largely carved rood suspended from the roof. There is an identical doorway to the nave entrance described above leading to the sacristy.
Building Materials
Flint
19th Century Elevations
Tile
19th Century Roof
Interior
Interior Description
The church is whitewashed throughout. The floor of the nave has red and black quarry tiles set in a diamond pattern, there are some 17th and 18th-century ledger slabs set into this. There are also many wall monuments, mostly at the west end of the nave, where the font stands under its heavy oak canopy. The tower space is accessible here through tall pointed arches in the west wall of the aisle and west bay of the longer nave, plain panelled ceiling. Both nave and aisles are fully pewed with pitched pine benches in a plain 16th-century style.
The chancel, however, has modern, light-stained furniture and a beige carpet, and strikes quite a different note, especially with its stridently modern stained glass east window, presumably all effected together in the 1970s. There is also a large carved rood suspended from the chancel roof. There is an identical doorway to the nave entrance described above leading to the sacristy.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
Modern table
Organ (object)
19th Century Two-manual pipe organ built by Hill Norman & Beard rebuilt 1969.
Historical Notes
1969 - 1969
Period Qualifier: 1
Pulpit
1855
Upper part of dark stained oak, hexagonal, with blind tracery panels and a moulded cornice, supported on a stone base.
Lectern
1855
Brass eagle standing on a serpent.
Font (object)
1855
Stone octagonal font bowl with quatrefoil panels, quatrefoil stem and base. Heavy oak cover suspended from a bracket, elaborately carved with ogee arches, crocketed pinnacles.
Bells
Churchyard
Grid reference: TQ 272 929
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
The churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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