It was built by subscription as a chapel of ease on land given by Woodham Connop and consecrated on 15 October 1831 by the Bishop of London, Charles Blomfield.

A district was assigned to the church on 9 December 1833, comprising the whole of the parish of east of a line drawn at a distance of 150 yards to the west of the main road from Edmonton to Cheshunt.

It was built from stock brick with stone dressings in a plain "Commissioners gothic" style with aisles and a western tower.

In 1841 the Ecclesiologist magazine reported "St James Enfield Highway which has been consecrated six or eight years, is already condemned as 'dangerous', since the heavy tied roof is threatening to fall in from the rotting of the ends of the beams, which are said to have been laid in the most disgraceful manner upon the mere damp brick-work"[5] The first incumbent was T.W.

The east end of the church was seriously damaged by a fire in 1967, and considerable alterations were in the course of repairs, including the removal of the chancel arch and extension of the sanctuary.