Did you know that our church community began in a tent, or that we now worship in a genuinely recycled building?

All churches are unique in their own way and St Anselm's has its own very individual story to tell about how it all began. The following information has been taken from 'The Parish of St Anselm, Belmont - A Brief History' which was compiled by Mr E. Day, a former Churchwarden and Founder Member of the Church, to mark its 40th Anniversary in 1981.

*1st Sunday in August 1935: the first service was held in a marquee which was pitched on the site where our church now stands.

*The night of September 16th-17th 1935: there was a strong gale that blew the marquee down. It was in place again by the following Sunday!

*September 28th 1935: electricity installed to replace the use of candles!

*October 13th 1935: A brick fireplace was installed to heat the tent by smokeless fuel.

*November 30th and December 1st 1935: The Dedication and Opening. Services were held in the newly built hall, which was to be used as a church - St Aidan's Church - pending the building of the larger St Anselm's Church

*November 1938: It was agreed that the building for the new church of St Anselm's would begin. The structure and fabric of the building was to be moved from St Anselm'd in Davies Street, Mayfair, which was for sale. £16,000 from the proceeds of this sale was given to build the new church.

*May 1939: stone pillars, the huge west window and all the materials for the building of our church began to arrive on site, to be carefully stored and numbered so that they could be re-built as they originally were.

*September 1939: the 2nd World War began. But, despite an increasing shortage of labour....

*Saturday, May 17th 1941: St Anselm's was completed, and consecrated by the Bishop of London, Dr Geoffry Fisher. 609 people attended the consecration ceremony.

We believe that St Anselm's is the only church in the country to have been started and completed during the war years. And that is how it all began!