St Barbara’s Church

• Client: Skanska
• Sector: Historic
• Services: Commercial Decorating
• Region: Deepcut, Surrey
• Project Value: £2 million +

Project Overview

There are fewer than 100 “tin tabernacle” churches still standing in England – and one of the most famous examples is St Barbara’s, located in Deepcut in the Surrey commuter belt. 

Tin tabernacles were iron churches developed in the mid-19th century. They were built using corrugated iron around a timber frame.  

The church in Deepcut was originally built as a garrison church in 1901. Then known as St Michael & All Angels, it would have been assembled off site before being delivered to its final location.  

It was renamed St Barbara’s Garrison Church in 1967 and became a Listed building in 1984. Fewer than 20 Listed tin tabernacle churches remain. 

St Barbara’s has a significant claim to fame after it was featured in a relatively recent smash-hit movie. It provided the church’s external location that was the scene of the massacre in the 2014 spy thriller Kingsman: The Secret Service.   

However, in the years following the quite unforgettable celluloid confrontation between Hollywood stars Colin Firth and Samuel L Jackson (no spoilers), it became clear the church was in severe need of restoration work.   

Deepcut’s army barracks was closed in 2013, since then the area around St Barbara’s has undergone extensive development work in the creation of the new Mindenhurst Village.  

Given our reputation as the UK’s preferred specialist decorating contractor, it was no surprise that Sentinel was asked by our client Skanska to deliver extensive work at the site.  

Our job was to carry out all decorative works to the building as part of its wider renovation. Our team of specialist decorators were on location at St Barbara’s for more than a year, with the work completed in December 2023.  

This was a project that required experience and sensitivity, given the Grade II Listed status of the building concerned. As a specialist decorating contractor with extensive expertise, we were confident we would be able to deliver our usual exceptional high standard of workmanship and service.  

Project Brief

This was far from a straightforward job for Sentinel, the UK’s favourite specialist decorating sub-contractor. The refurbishment of St Barbara’s had to be carried out to an outstanding standard, while respecting the fact that this is a Listed building – and a popular local community landmark. 

Before any work on the church could begin, all the stained-glass windows had to be boarded up to protect them from damage.  

The church spire had to be carefully removed so that it could be refurbished elsewhere and reinstalled after all the exterior works to the building had been carried out.  

Everyone involved in the project was acutely aware of the need to protect the church’s original structure. St Barbara’s was originally constructed in an era when corrugated iron was the first mass-produced external building material, but its Listed status tells you everything you need to know about how rare such buildings are now.  

As well as the actual structure of the church, there was also the need to preserve some of the local wildlife. Several bats had made their home in St Barbara’s, and they needed to be safely relocated to alternative habitats nearby before renovation work could begin.  

Challenges / Solution

The overall challenge to our team of specialist decorators was to produce a high-quality finish that was at the same time entirely in keeping with the history and the Listed status of St Barbara’s. 

All the flags and regimental memorabilia, as well as several religious artefacts, that were stored in the church had to be taken away and stored off site for the duration of the project.  

Refurbishing the structure to a high level was achieved using a variety of specific techniques and products – namely shot blasting, PeelAway and Giromax.  

Shot blasting was used to remove the existing paint from the metal wall cladding, while PeelAway paint remover did the trick for timber doors and windows.  

These techniques aligned with the environmental imperative of the project, which aimed to clean the exterior of the building using the TORC method. That means no chemicals were used in removing the old and decaying paint. 

We even went as far as building an embankment around the church before the cleaning began, to allow all old paint chippings to be collected and removed. 

All the removal products, expertly applied by our commercial decorating experts, produced a seamless finish ready for the application of exterior paints. 

We applied Giromax paints to exterior window frames, guttering, and the roof and metal cladding walls. This was once the guttering and roof had been repaired, and any broken windows removed and replaced.  

Giromax products are approved by the British Board of Agrement (sic) and they incorporate the latest polymer hybrid technology. That means they should prevent corrosion damage to the exteriors at St Barbara’s for up to 25 years.  

The Result

It is extremely pleasing to be able to report that St Barbara’s was renovated to an exceptionally high standard. We have received feedback from the local community indicating that this special church’s neighbours are very happy with the overall finished project.  

Our team on the ground in Surrey worked efficiently and effectively, and collaborated seamlessly with the other contractors involved, as well as the local groups overseeing the work to renovate and restore St Barbara’s. 

Work on the Mindenhurst redevelopment will continue for some time, but it is satisfying to know that at its heart is a community feature whose appearance will give pleasure to all.