Elim Pentecostal Church

The Elim Pentecostal Church in Elstree is a working place of worship rather than a tourist sight, but if you're staying nearby at Lovat Parks and fancy understanding what matters to the local community, it's worth a look. The building itself reflects the church's 20th-century roots - functional rather than ornate, which is rather the point for Pentecostal worship. Services are lively affairs with contemporary music and engaged congregations, worlds away from the buttoned-up formality of older Anglican churches.

This isn't somewhere you'd build a holiday around, frankly. Most visitors stumble upon it while exploring Elstree's residential streets, and the churchyard offers a quiet moment if you're in the area. Opening times aren't advertised online, so check their website or ring ahead if you want to attend a service rather than just poke your head in on a random Tuesday.

It works best as a cultural footnote during a longer Hertfordshire visit - proof that modern religious communities thrive in London's suburbs just as much as ancient ones. If you're based at Lovat Parks, you're perhaps five miles away, close enough for a Sunday morning visit if you're curious about local life beyond the holiday park itself. Otherwise, save your time for Elstree's film studios or the walks around nearby reservoirs.