The spacious downstairs

The kitchen

There is a modern hall, specially designed, adjacent to the church. The new united entrance to both the church and the hall has a 'lych gate' appearance, facing St. James's Road. The resulting link forms an enclosure or cloister between the two buildings. This pleasant paved courtyard can be used for open-air activities. Bench seats and cycle blocks have been installed in the courtyard. There is a covered way, with windows on either side, connecting the south porch of the church to the main entrance of the hall with disabled access. The overall effect is both modern and appealing, "a building for today and for years to come".

The spacious downstairs has a beautiful wooden strip floor and long windows at each corner. Each window gives a different view, the churchyard, the road and the courtyard with the overall aspect being one of light and space. This large function room, about 7.5 x 13.75 metres, has a piano and also tables and chairs for both children and adults. The main hall has an adjoining well-equipped kitchen. There is an electric cooker, fridge, microwave, plus crockery and cutlery for 50-100 people. There are also wine glasses to welcome friends at big occasions as well as electric kettles to help supply cups of coffee and tea. There are several toilets including one for the disabled.

The upper room

The garden

Upstairs there is a smaller, carpeted room, again with long windows and a roof-light. This upper room, about five metres square, can be used for meetings for small groups of people. It has its own small kitchenette and there are tables and chairs for both children and adults. This room is used for meetings, young people, etc. The Sunday School has had several sleepovers here, even surviving the chiming of the church clock!

On the other side of the hall there is a side garden with shrubs and small artificial lawn, which can also be used for outside activities and refreshments.

Just in front of the hall there is a small car park for six cars and there is plenty of street parking along St. James's Road and also in other nearby roads.

The hall is used on Sundays for Parish Breakfast and throughout the week for numerous meetings and social functions connected to the church. St. James's Jays Sunday School meets here regularly during term time during the 09.30 Parish Communion. 3rd Hampton Hill Brownies use the hall from 18.00-19.00 on Tuesdays and the 3rd Hampton Hill Guides follow at 19.15 until 20.45.

Hillpark Nursery School is a regular user of the hall. It has a strong community feel, and since opening has served over 300 local families, many of whom are members of the congregation. Some of the other regular users of the hall include Yoga Classes, the Ash School of Theatre Arts running dance classes, Actfirst Drama Group and the Hampton Hill Photographic Society. Some regular hirers book ‘special days’. The Bridge Group has held a Bridge Drive in aid of Marie Curie, the yoga teachers sometimes have day workshops, the hall is used as a music rehearsal room (when the church is busy) and Dragon Drama hold workshops during the school holidays. It is also used for a wide variety of children’s parties, with entertainers, bouncy castles and discos, as well as dinner parties, family celebrations of baptisms, anniversaries, birthdays and weddings. Not least the hall is used as a Polling Station for local and general elections!

The hall committee supervises the maintenance and letting of the hall and ensures that it continues to be a valuable resource for the parish. Anyone interested in using the hall should contact the Parish Administrator on 020 8941 6003 or see the online booking diary.

Historical Background to the Church Hall
The first church 'hall' was a small iron and wood building given by Mrs. FitzWygram and set up in the vicarage field in 1908. A proper parish room was considered during 1914 but was postponed due to the outbreak of war. In 1932, following major remodelling and renovation, the boys' school building in School Road re-opened having been turned into “a roomy, cosy hall, with every necessary convenience to make it a most desirable place for holding any public or private entertainment in”. The need for a new small hall was discussed in 1954 and consequently Wayside, a large house in St. James’s Road, built in 1883 and originally called Armaside, was bought the following year.

In 1989 it was decided to bring all the activities of the church under one roof. Wayside was sold, releasing capital which, combined with money from the earlier sale of the church hall, allowed a new hall to be built next to the church, both for church and community use. A foundation stone was consecrated by the Bishop of London during the St. James’s Festival in July, 1993. The ‘topping-out’ ceremony took place in December of the same year and the hall was officially opened in September 1994. Included in the new building was a “very attractive porch joining the church and the hall, somewhat in the style of a Lych-gate, like a bridge between the spiritual and the secular, between the Church and the World”.

For a more detailed account, read the page The History of St. James's Church Hall.