The Moving Church and The Wembley Wizards

In 1905 the Wesleyan Methodists erected a corrugated iron church in Neasden Lane on the corner with Verney Street.

OS Map of 1912 showing the position of the iron church in Neasden Lane

These could be bought as kits, and many were used as a temporary meeting place by the local congregation until money could be raised to build a permanent brick building. A major supplier was Humphreys Ltd who made churches, hospitals and other iron buildings.

Humphreys advert from 1902

In 1928 the lease on the land expired and the Wesleyans were offered a site on the eastern side of the newly-built North Circular Road. A contractor said he could move the intact church the short distance of a quarter of the mile along Neasden Lane and six men worked for a week preparing runners under the building.

On Wednesday 27 March 1928 it was towed by motor lorry towards the North Circular but it had only travelled a short distance when the church partly collapsed, slipped off the runners, and blocked the road.

The police insisted the road be cleared as heavy traffic was expected for the international football match between England and Scotland at Wembley on Saturday. At this point there was no option but to take the church to pieces and transport them to the new site.

Wembley Stadium, British Empire Exhibition, 1924/25

The match was a famous victory for Scotland who completely outplayed England. The Scottish team won 5-1 and became known as the ‘Wembley Wizards’. There is a short silent Pathe News film clip here.

A new brick church was built remarkably quickly using the salvaged floor, doors and windows from the old iron church. It was opened on 30 May by Mrs Ellen Gray Beeson, wife of Amos Beeson a major ironmonger at Harlesden for over 70 years and a pillar of the Methodist community.

OS Map of 1936 showing the church on the eastern side of Neasden Circus

However, as traffic levels on the North Circular built up, the noise proved too much and in 1937 the congregation moved again to a third site on Neasden Lane. Demolished around 1980, the site is now occupied by Hazelwood Court with a small modern Methodist church adjacent.

Very few iron churches have survived, and today we are fortunate to have the Kilburn ‘Tin Tabernacle’ in Cambridge Avenue.

Iron Church in Kilburn (Dick Weindling, September 2025)

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