This website tells you about our church. If it helps you find your way to St Peter’s, you may be assured of a warm welcome.
On this page you will find information about our history, location and worship.
On this page you will find information about our history, location and worship.
St Peter’s: Altar & Choir, January 2018
St Peter's is a Parish Church in the Church of England. It is now part of the wider Chipping Barnet Team Ministry, that includes St John the Baptist, Chipping Barnet; St Mark's, Barnet Vale; and St Stephen's, Bells Hill. We are part of the Church of England Diocese of St Albans.
St Peter's at the turn of the 20th century (Barnet Museum Archive)
HISTORY OF ST PETER'S
Arkley is one of the highest points in Greater London, at almost 500 feet above sea level. There has been a settlement here for probably 1,000 years, and the name itself was recorded in the 14th century.
St Peter's began life as a private chapel in 1840, built by Enoch (or Enosh) Durant of High Cannons, Shenley, to serve his tenants and those who worked in his nearby brick works. The nave and transepts are built of bricks made in Arkley. It was initially licensed for worship by the Lord Bishop of London, in whose diocese Arkley then lay. A few years later the chapel was given by Mr Durant's heirs to the Church of England and became a chapel-of-ease in the Parish of Barnet. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the church was magnificently enlarged and a new parish of Arkley was created, with St Peter's, a Grade II listed building since 1950, as its parish church. The Lady Chapel was added in 1921. The village war memorial, a Celtic stone cross opposite the church, was unveiled in 1920 and commemorates local servicemen who gave their lives in the World Wars of 1914-18 and 1939-45. There is a memorial tablet in the church to Enoch Durant, who died in 1848, in his 80th year. A contemporaneous portrait of him is held by the National Portrait Gallery. Go to: www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp121902/enoch-durant
Arkley is one of the highest points in Greater London, at almost 500 feet above sea level. There has been a settlement here for probably 1,000 years, and the name itself was recorded in the 14th century.
St Peter's began life as a private chapel in 1840, built by Enoch (or Enosh) Durant of High Cannons, Shenley, to serve his tenants and those who worked in his nearby brick works. The nave and transepts are built of bricks made in Arkley. It was initially licensed for worship by the Lord Bishop of London, in whose diocese Arkley then lay. A few years later the chapel was given by Mr Durant's heirs to the Church of England and became a chapel-of-ease in the Parish of Barnet. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the church was magnificently enlarged and a new parish of Arkley was created, with St Peter's, a Grade II listed building since 1950, as its parish church. The Lady Chapel was added in 1921. The village war memorial, a Celtic stone cross opposite the church, was unveiled in 1920 and commemorates local servicemen who gave their lives in the World Wars of 1914-18 and 1939-45. There is a memorial tablet in the church to Enoch Durant, who died in 1848, in his 80th year. A contemporaneous portrait of him is held by the National Portrait Gallery. Go to: www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp121902/enoch-durant
The war memorial, opposite St Peter's, on Remembrance Day, 2015
Early 20th century view of Arkley, with St Peter’s in the distance and Glebe Lane signposted front right
ST PETER'S TODAY
In 2015 St Peter's celebrated its 175th anniversary. Today we are a small, friendly church on the edge of town and country - a short distance from a tube station (High Barnet) and a few miles from the M25; yet our parish is full of working agricultural land, as well as housing. Chipping Barnet, on whose western outskirts Arkley lies, retains some of its historic features as a coaching stop on the Great North Road and the site of an Elizabethan grammar school. The Battle of Barnet, an important encounter in the Wars of the Roses, was fought to the north of the town on Easter Day, 1471, and the Physic Well, visited by Samuel Pepys in the 17th century, is near St Peter's. Barnet Road (A411), in which the church is located, links Arkley village to Chipping Barnet, to the east, and the Barnet By-Pass (A1) at Stirling Corner, to the west. In addition to the church and war memorial, local landmarks include the Gate inn, which dates from the 18th century, and Arkley Windmill (Barnet Gate Mill) from the early 19th century. There are some old pictures of local landmarks on the “Arkley images” page.
Our community is varied and this is reflected in our worship. While the church remains firmly rooted in its traditional Anglican inheritance, with many services from the Book of Common Prayer or in traditional language, we also have a monthly Family Service that, while relaxed and informal, still follows a basic pattern of worship. There is more information about our pattern of worship on the “Services” page.
In 2016 we welcomed to Arkley our present Team Vicar, the Revd Nick Wheeler, who was licensed and installed at St Peter's by the Lord Bishop of St Albans and the Archdeacon of Hertford.
In 2015 St Peter's celebrated its 175th anniversary. Today we are a small, friendly church on the edge of town and country - a short distance from a tube station (High Barnet) and a few miles from the M25; yet our parish is full of working agricultural land, as well as housing. Chipping Barnet, on whose western outskirts Arkley lies, retains some of its historic features as a coaching stop on the Great North Road and the site of an Elizabethan grammar school. The Battle of Barnet, an important encounter in the Wars of the Roses, was fought to the north of the town on Easter Day, 1471, and the Physic Well, visited by Samuel Pepys in the 17th century, is near St Peter's. Barnet Road (A411), in which the church is located, links Arkley village to Chipping Barnet, to the east, and the Barnet By-Pass (A1) at Stirling Corner, to the west. In addition to the church and war memorial, local landmarks include the Gate inn, which dates from the 18th century, and Arkley Windmill (Barnet Gate Mill) from the early 19th century. There are some old pictures of local landmarks on the “Arkley images” page.
Our community is varied and this is reflected in our worship. While the church remains firmly rooted in its traditional Anglican inheritance, with many services from the Book of Common Prayer or in traditional language, we also have a monthly Family Service that, while relaxed and informal, still follows a basic pattern of worship. There is more information about our pattern of worship on the “Services” page.
In 2016 we welcomed to Arkley our present Team Vicar, the Revd Nick Wheeler, who was licensed and installed at St Peter's by the Lord Bishop of St Albans and the Archdeacon of Hertford.
Licensing and installation of Revd Nick Wheeler (centre) as Team Vicar at St Peter's on 24 October 2016 - left to right: Revd Chris Ferris (Rector of Barnet), Venerable Janet MacKenzie (Archdeacon of Hertford), NW, Rt Hon & Rt Revd Dr Alan Smith (Lord Bishop of St Albans) & Revd James Mustard (Area Dean)
Whatever your age, background or style of worship, we hope that St Peter's can offer you a warm welcome, whether you are popping in for one of our services, or looking for a church to call home.
