The History
Built in 1934 to replace an existing 1864 church building. It was the last hall built by the Methodists and was funded by passionate Methodist and British film legend J Arthur Rank, who is credited with influencing the cinema-like design of the building.
It is therefore unsurprising that with it’s stripped down Mayan-Deco aesthetic it is often mistaken for a former cinema fallen on hard times.
Designed by George and K Withers, it had a 1,300 seat auditorium, offices, a Sunday school and eight shops along with the 500 seater hall.
Inside, it was more like a concert venue than a church, with tip-up seats and concealed organ pipework. A screen, which would show cartoons on a Saturday afternoon and features at night, was operated by a large pulley system.
Some people had other interpretations of the design. “Most of the interior walls were tiled and it was recorded that when it opened people were often found wandering around with towels around their necks ‘looking for the swimming baths’!” added Jan.
During the war, the basement was used by the council as an air raid shelter for 600 people.
“Every night throughout the blitz huge queues formed waiting to gain entry,” continued Jan. “It was remarked that at times the building resembled a West End theatre owing to the size of the queue and the amount of buskers entertaining the crowds.
“The enterprising minister even wrote ‘The Archway Air Raid Shelter Hymn’ which was sung every night before lights out!”
Concerts and dances were also held during the war in a bid to keep morale up. But on the night of November 5, 1944, the hall was used for a very different reason.
After a V2 rocket came down in nearby Grovedale Road, killing 31 and injuring another 84, it was used as a makeshift mortuary for the victims.
After the war competition from other venues saw the hall’s popularity decline and the owners began renting it out to youth clubs, until it was eventually closed as a venue in the ’60s. But it wasn’t finished yet.
“There was a reversal in fortunes when John Beech became minister in the late sixties,” Jan added. “He opened a new club for the disaffected youth in the area.
“He had a background as a missionary in Ghana and worked in particular with black youth in London. The youth club took off in a big way and membership reached over 600.”
Its success also brought problems, though, and it eventually closed after Beech and his wife spent too much time disarming youths carrying knives and drugs began to be used and sold on the premises.
It was last open to the public in the 1980s, although it does form part of the larger church complex, much of which is still in use.
It’s been empty, aside from property guardians, since 1989 and is said to be owned by a Gibraltar-based company.
They had plans of redeveloping it
https://www.ifarchitecture.co.uk/projects/residential/view/item/370-archway
But more recently there has been talk of it being demolished.
Plans to convert the Archway Methodist Hall into an office block have been rejected by Islington Council. The application was submitted in December 2020 by architect firm White Arkitekter; the plan was to demolish the current building and erect a six-storey energy-efficient office block for "local businesses". Planners said the development would have result in an unjustified loss of community space and would cause substantial harm to the significance, character and appearance of the St John's Grove Conservation Area. The proposed height and uncharacteristic materials would also fail to preserve area's appearance. The “Better Archway Forum” have submitted its own plans for an arts venue.
Their interesting plans can be seen here
https://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/...al-plans-to-develop-archway-methodist-3810178
The Explore
Having looked at this a few times with various people, I recently had a look at it with @clebby and @xplorer.x only this time we found a way in.
Nothing overly exciting here but just thought I would document it as I know it’s grabbed a few peoples interest over the years. Especially with it being on the opposite corner to the Archway Campus hospital.
Sadly it’s pretty stripped inside with large chunks of the plaster ceiling having fallen down and other sections held up with timber.
The projection room is long gone and what was left of it is open to the elements.
The main area has an amazing skylight which would have been amazing before it was covered in bird shit.
I will mention that it appears that someone is living in the front half of the building, we stayed out of their way and they stayed out of ours. Although their dinner smelt great.
So not many pics really just something to give an idea of what it once was.
