Built: 1714 onwards
Listing: Grade II*

The first Church on this site was built in 1714 on land given by Queen Anne, and largely at her expense. It contained twenty-one pews and an upper gallery. The attractive little brick building was three bays long, entered from west and south, and measured 64 feet by 27 feet. A shallow east projection contained the altar and east window: the steep roof culminated in a clock tower with an octagonal bell turret.

Plans of 1759 show that extensive reorganisation was soon contemplated, although not immediately executed; and a gallery with sixteen pews was removed 11 years later.

The building was greatly enlarged in 1770 at the expense of King George III, to designs by Joshua Kirby. An aisle was added on the north and a five-windowed matching extension along the south side contained a Charity School and Beadle’s Lodging.

The southern extension was taken into the church as an aisle, forty years later in 1810. A gallery added in 1803 was then also extended into this aisle. Outside, the churchyard was enlarged northwards in 1817. The east end was re-cast in 1822 to accommodate an organ chamber behind the altar. At this period an undated watercolour suggests an open western portico flanked by brick projections containing a staircase and robing rooms.

The west end was in fact extended and remodelled to designs by Sir William Wyatville in 1836/37 at the expense of King William IV, and increased the capacity of the church by 200 seats. This included the present projecting stone portico, and a raised stone bell-tower, with a cupola reminiscent of its predecessor.

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