The first church on this site was built by the Congregationalists of Ware and opened in 1814. There are no known illustrations of this building but it must have been fairly small and basic. What we do know is that after a few years the congregation had outgrown it and the present building was opened in 1859 with great ceremony by the Lord Mayor of London. The construction had largely been paid for by Joseph Chuck, one of the many local maltsters operating in Ware at the time.
The exterior design is of an attractive neo gothic style. Inside it is spacious and light and despite its width does not have any columns. The church had not been altered materially since this time except for some 1960’s interior work and provision of more modern heating.
In 2011 the pews were removed and replaced with chairs to create a more open and usable space, not only for worship but for concerts and exhibitions.
Following many years of planning Leaside completed a major development project in 2018. This linked the Church and Hall, which until then had been separate buildings, to create a new entrance. This made the Church accessible with an internal ramp and created new facilities for the use of all.
This also gave a secure area for the use of Leaside Under Fives Kindergarten allowing use of the rest of the building during school times.
