Forum Topic

Vestry Hall

There was an article in this weeks' free paper referring to The Vestry Hall which it said was demolished in 1963 to make way for the new Police station building. Can anyone help me out here - I went to St Pauls School from 1950 to 1961 (or thereabouts) but I can't honestly remember that building. I remember the old Post Office building which was opposite and the Queens cinema which was on the other side of the cobbled street by the Beehive pub. From the photo in the newspaper the Vestry Hall was a large impressive building, not one to be forgotten.  Any answers anyone ?

Pat Kingham ● 5267d9 Comments

Thanks to the Brentford Dock website for the recent publicity about this new book.It contains lots of pictures about Brentford.Read all about it here:http://www.brentforddockresidents.co.uk/bookgillianclegg.php

Jim Lawes ● 5235d

"Lovely to see the trolleybus !"You like Brentford trolleybuses Pat? Perhaps it's time to repeat that great musical video ..containing local sights and tunes you'll recognise.

Jim Lawes ● 5235d

JimThanks for that picture. The strange thing is that I can clearly remember everything else in the photo but not the Vestry Hall. Perhaps it'll come back to me sometime. Lovely to see the trolleybus !

Pat Kingham ● 5236d

In this hugh picture..!You can see the Vestry Hall towering on the right side.You might now recall it!

Jim Lawes ● 5236d

Pat,If you just type "Brentford Vestry Hall" into Google Imagesyou'll find a picture of the Vestry Hall.It appears on Celia Cotton's Brentford High Street website and it's not possible it seems to lift the picture to this thread.The Vestry Hall (Town Hall) did seem an enormous building with the capacity to hold some 600 in the "Chamber"? so one reads. I suppose it was not longer really needed after Brentford amalgamated with Chiswick in the early 1930s and even more so in the 1960s when the Houmslow borough came into existence.

Jim Lawes ● 5236d

I know what you mean..I lived in Bedford Road and went down Pottery Road nearly every day and never noticed the entrance to Belfast docks as seen in the film "The Gentle Gunman".Anyway,best wishes.

Alfred Winkworth ● 5253d

I must have a mental block because I just can't remember it.

Pat Kingham ● 5253d

Yes I well remember the imposing Vestry Hall on the corner with the Post Office across the road.If I remember rightly there was a Scout hut behind it.I used to pass the Vestry Hall on my way to the "Bug Hutch" or going to Brentford Secondary School,but I dont think I ever went into the hall.Cant recall it being demolished as by that time I had moved to Twickenham.

Alfred Winkworth ● 5255d

The hall was built c.1900 based on a design of Nowell Parr an architect who designed a number of local buildings. It was on the corner of the Half Acre and St. Pauls Rd and was knocked down in the early 60's to make way for the Police Station. It's in Gillian Cleggs book on Brentford

Neil Chippendale ● 5265d