The tower A tower pinnacle

The most striking and characteristic external features of the church are its tower and spire at the west end of the church.

The clock

The Church Tower is well-proportioned, with three stages, a battlemented parapet, pinnacles and corner buttresses. It was made of mellow London stock bricks with stone dressings in 1887, and reminds us of the times when churches (though not St. James's) were used as posts of defence against enemies, being square, solid and strongly built. The main walls of St. James's tower are over three feet thick at the base, reducing to just under two feet thick at the upper belfry level. It is 64 ft high to the top of the battlements.

The clock and bells are housed in the bell tower and the four clock faces show on the tower, one on each side. The actual place where the bells are hung is called the belfry. The windows in the tower do not have glass, but openings or louvres in the stonework so that the sound of the bells can travel. A stone spiral staircase of thirty one stairs leads from the baptistry up to the belfry, then from there a wooden staircase leads up to a viewing platform at the lower lancet window level, and from this, there is a ladder to a landing at the upper window level leads to the clock chamber. From the clock chamber, a wooden staircase rises twenty feet to the belfry. In the belfry, are further flights of wooden stairs, totalling fifty two steps, leading to a wooden landing from which it is possible look out of window openings in all eight faces of the spire.

Members of the public are allowed access to this viewing level, strictly at their own risk, only by prior arrangement with the vicar or churchwardens, and must be accompanied by a church official. From the viewing platform, a wooden ladder rises twenty four feet to a smaller landing, from which a further similar ladder reaches into the very top of the spire. The height of the spire above the tower is eighty two ft, and on top is the cross, making a total height above ground of about 152 feet.

The clock, with four dials, is a simple pendulum wall clock and was made in 1893 by J. Smith & Sons of Derby, the builders of the great clock of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Read more about the clock on the page The Bell Tower.

A gargoyle is the projecting carved stone waterspout rather like an ugly-looking head. It was often used in church architecture and Its purpose is to throw out the rainwater from the gutter of the church roof, and so to get it clear of the walls of the building itself. The carvings have open mouths out of which the water drains. There are four different gargoyles on the bell tower, one on each corner as shown in the pictures below.

The spire and cross

Windows in the spire

The Spire, with a cross at the top, is a gracefully tapering structure which rises above the tower in the form of a tall cone or pyramid. It was made entirely of Portland stone, pierced with brick banding and rises to 157 feet (approx. 48m). It is hexangonal (six sided) with three sets of bands each enclosing six windows.

The spire is a familiar and prominent local landmark. Many people think it looks like a finger pointing upwards to heaven, reflecting the mystery and wonder of God. The celestial and hopeful gesture of the spire is one reason for its association with religious buildings.

Built to coincide with Queen Victoria's golden jubilee, the spire was the last of several enlargements and additions to the originally rather modest church of St James, built in 1863 by its first vicar, thus marking the beginnings of Hampton Hill as we know it.

"To the former well-to-do parishioners responsible for raising the spire 'to the glory of God', it may also have been a symbol of the solid Victorian society in which they lived. Today, a century later, many fewer of the parishioners belong to or attend the church (though some would claim an allegiance); but the spire still stands, serene and sure, symbolic of the Church, as part of which a faithful congregation continues God's work in the community which it serves."

Historical Background to the Tower and Spire
St .James's celebrated Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887 by building the tower and spire. The foundation stone was laid by Edward Bligh, the vicar's son and one each of every coin in the country, from a farthing to a guinea, was placed behind it. The baptistry beneath the new tower was opened after the Christmas Eve service in 1887 and the spire was completed early in the New Year. It was the tallest structure in the then Borough of Twickenham. Parishioners could pay sixpence to climb a staircase to about eighty-five feet and then a ladder to the middle look-out to experience the spectacular view. The clock and four bells were installed in 1893 and dedicated on December 23rd, when the former vicar, Revd. Bligh, returned to preach a sermon appropriate to the texts inscribed on the bells. Two further bells were added in 1902.

Various renovations were carried out over the years but in 1989 serious defects were discovered and were reported in the Spire: "The appearance of steeplejack’s ladders signalled a warning of trouble, and now, sadly, we have confirmation from the architect’s inspection that the spire may not be as solid as we thought. Undamaged by the violence of the '87 hurricane, it is however under attack from the insidious effects of dampness, frost, and atmospheric pollution which are causing areas of masonry, where the spire rises from the tower, to crumble. Stonework on both tower and spire is eroded, and the cross at the top is split. Urgent work is necessary to restore these areas and prevent further damage." The renovation, which included an application of an impervious surface at the base of the spire to inhibit water penetration, was completed in 1990.

For a more detailed account, read the page The History of the Tower and Spire.