St Mark's Barnet Vale
Another in the ever expanding Church Micro Series, started by Sadexploration.
The parishioners of Barnet Vale found the walk up the path in all weathers to High Barnet Church a struggle as Meadway was not built until the 1930s. It was therefore decided to build a church in the Vale. An iron Mission Hall on the corner of Woodville Road was the first St Mark’s. It was dedicated in 1885 and served for nearly 15 years until a permanent church could be built.
The church was designed by John Loughborough Pearson, the architect of Truro Cathedral. The Foundation Stone was laid on 9 October 1897, but due to the costly style the funding ran when only the nave, which was consecrated on 4 February 1899, had been completed. A simple box-shaped brick chancel and vestries were added in 1899 to sketches by the first incumbent, Rev. Lane, while funding was raised for the full design to be completed – thought to be about 10 years. The stone porch, to the original design, was added in 1909.
Over the years there have been many attempts to raise the funds to complete the church, but the funding has always been diverted to repairs or for other buildings. Finally in 2001 plans were approved and building work started in December 2003. The Foundation Stone for the new hall was blessed on Whit Sunday 2004 and was laid at foundation level on 9 September 2004, behind the St. Mark’s Parish Hall stone. The new halls were built underneath the chancel and are of yellowish brick to blend with the honey-stone coloured rendering of the new church east end which covers the original red brick walls saved from the 1899 “temporary” brick chancel. The old chancel roof was raised by many brick courses to accommodate the new 8-foot diameter rose window, and a new curved brick arch leads to a smaller Lady Chapel with sacristy behind it. The Chancel was hallowed by the Bishop of St. Albans on St. Mark’s Day, 25th April 2005.
The present organ, made by J W Walker & Sons, was installed in 1968, being the first organ custom built for the Church. At least four second-hand organs had been used from the time of the consecration of the Church in 1899. The last of these was installed in 1948 and lasted until the late 1960s.
The cache is not at the coordinates given, but you will find a pillar box which has a number ENa bc. The cache, a magnetic micro, can be found at:
N 51 39.(b-a)(b+1)(c-1) W0 11.(b-a-1)bc
Checksum for all digits is 51.
***** 18 August 2015 *****
The number has gone from the front of the pillar box. If it is not replaced then look to the right and there is a double door into the end of the modern part of the church. Above the doors and large windows there are two rows of smaller windows. If x is the number in the top row and y is the number in the lower row then a = y/2 ; b=x ; c=y-1.
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For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the
Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him at churchmicro.co.uk
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
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