On 17th July 1881 a mission church (later to become the church hall - still in use today) was opened by Fr. Frank Rowland on a site given by Saint John’s College, Cambridge. It stood on a small field near a pond just off the Brecknock Road (a strategic road for those heading north out of London from 14th century. Part of the Ritualist & Catholic Movements from the outset, the congregation steadily grew so that a permanent church soon became a necessity.

The foundation stone of the first Saint Benet & All Saints’ Church was laid on 13th June 1885. It is of interest to mention that the title "St Benet" was derived from the Church of St. Benet’s, Paul’s Wharf, Queen Victoria Street. The architect chosen was Peacock of Bloomsbury. Just over four months later, on the eve of All Saints’ Day, the Church was consecrated. Without doubt, the speed and manner of its building contributed to its subsequent demise.

Fr. Rowland was to leave in 1887, to be replaced by one of his assistant priests, Fr. Herbert Hall. Under his incumbency, the S. Benet’s Catholic identity was consolidated, and links grew with churches such as All Saints’, Margaret Street and S. Alban, Holborn (whose Fr. Stanton would preach annually at S. Benet’s at All Saintstide).

It was not an infrequent practice at that time for incumbents to exchange livings, and so in 1901 Fr. Hall swapped parishes with Fr. George Briscoe of St. Peter’s Staines. Already the structure of the church was causing concern, due to the enormous weight of the nave and the insufficient foundations. There was no permanent chancel at this time and closure of the church was a real possibility.

Five years after his arrival, Fr. Briscoe resigned and was replaced by Fr. Henry Valentine in 1906, who decided that a permanent chancel should be built. Bodley and Hare were appointed architects, and the foundation stone was laid on 31st October, 1908.

Fr. Robert Ross was instituted in 1913. The war was soon to have its impact on church attendance and the foundations of Church and Vicarage (on the site now occupied by Lambourn Close) were giving renewed concern, due to the unusual fact of the existence of a spring beneath the church on top of a hill! The stoke hole had to be pumped out daily in winter (something still required to this day!).

In 1925 Fr. Harry Richardson was instituted. The nave was now in urgent need of being saved, but it was decided that the only sensible course of action was to pull it down! Cecil Hare was the obvious choice of architect as he had been in part responsible for the chancel. A new aisle-less church was designed just in time, for in November 1927 the London County Council condemned and closed the nave as a dangerous structure. The mission hall became a temporary church again, whilst the £14,500 was found (£12,000 from a legacy received by the Bishop of London) to demolish and rebuild the nave, this time with foundations going down 29 feet! After speedy work, the nave was consecrated in November 1928, and so the present church came to be, the chancel being 20 years older than the nave!