A Victorian chapel built for a religious sect in 1855 has become one of Europe's most celebrated recording studios, drawing musicians from Bob Dylan to Beyoncé to a quiet corner of Haringey.
The building at 145H Crouch Hill began life as the Park Chapel, serving the Agapemonites, a religious sect founded by Reverend Henry James Prince in 1846. The congregation, whose name derives from the Greek for "abode of love," occupied the premises until the 1950s.
From Pulpit to Control Room
The transformation from place of worship to recording facility began in the early 1980s when animators Bob Bura and John Hardwick purchased the property. The pair, known for children's television programmes including Camberwick Green and Trumpton, rented the upper chapel room to Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox of Eurythmics in 1982.
Stewart and Lennox converted the space into a recording studio in 1984, completing work on their breakthrough album Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). As Eurythmics' popularity grew, they purchased the building outright.
Under their ownership, The Church Studios hosted an impressive roster of artists. Bob Dylan recorded there during the 1990s and developed such affection for the area that he reportedly searched for property in Crouch End. He became a regular at the now-closed Shamrat Indian restaurant nearby. Other notable visitors included Radiohead, Depeche Mode, Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, My Bloody Valentine, Patti Smith, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
The David Gray Era
Singer-songwriter David Gray acquired the studio in 2004, recording four albums there including Life in Slow Motion and Draw the Line. However, by 2012 the building faced an uncertain future. Plans emerged to convert the studio into residential flats, prompting opposition from local residents and concern within the music industry.
Gray's tenure drew criticism from one of the studio's founders. When Annie Lennox returned in 2009 to record a duet with Gray, she was reportedly "outraged" that the tartan carpet she and Stewart had installed more than two decades earlier remained unchanged.
Paul Epworth and the 2013 Renovation
The studio was rescued in October 2013 when Paul Epworth, the Grammy and Academy Award-winning producer, purchased the property. Epworth commissioned a comprehensive refurbishment by Walters-Storyk Design Group and Miloco Builds, transforming the space into a three-studio complex whilst preserving its architectural character.
The renovation installed a 72-channel vintage EMI Neve console in Studio 1, assembled from two legendary halves: one from Abbey Road Studios and one from Pathe Marconi Studios in Paris. Studio 2 features a vintage SSL console and custom Augspurger monitors, with the room raised off the ground to manage high sound pressure levels. Studio 3 serves as a purpose-built writing suite.
The project won a TEC Award in 2016, recognising excellence in studio design.
Recent Sessions and Continued Legacy
Since the renovation, The Church Studios has hosted some of the biggest names in contemporary music. Adele filmed a live performance of "When We Were Young" at the studio in 2015, a video that has since accumulated more than 550 million YouTube views. U2 recorded portions of their 2014 album Songs of Innocence at the facility.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z used the SSL studio to mix four songs and record vocals for their 2018 album Everything Is Love. Madonna's Madame X (2019) was partly recorded and fully mixed in the SSL studio. Coldplay, The 1975, Dave, London Grammar, Lana Del Rey, Florence and the Machine, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have all recorded there in recent years.
The studio received "Studio of the Year" at the Music Producers Guild Awards in 2020 and "Large Commercial Studio of the Year" in 2025.
Local Significance
For Haringey residents, The Church Studios represents a rare survivor. The building's 11-foot ceilings, original oak panelling, and what acousticians describe as "inherently pristine" chapel acoustics have attracted musicians to Crouch End for four decades. The facility stands as one of the largest recording spaces remaining in London, a distinction that has helped preserve the area's creative character amid rising property values.
The studio continues to operate as a London Living Wage employer, maintaining its position as one of Europe's leading commercial recording facilities within the London Borough of Haringey.
