Chantry Hall days look numbered

10:58am Wednesday 13th February 2008

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After more than 80 years playing a central role in Southampton community life the death knell may soon be finally ringing for the Chantry Hall in the St Mary's area of the city.

There must be many local people who have fond memories of the Chantry Hall as at one time or another it was home to Scouts, Guides, pensioners' clubs, dancing classes and the Southampton Music Festival.

The hall's finest hour came during the Second World War when it became St Mary's Church itself after that building was destroyed in enemy air raids and was not restored until well after the end of the conflict.

A centre for worship was just one of the hall's various wartime uses which included an emergency meals kitchen, an Army billet and a dance hall where Gil Hulme and his band played to a town so glad of live entertainment.

Nobody could have known, when the hall was built in 1925, just how important the building in Chapel Road was destined to be over the future decades but, sadly, even this sterling service to so many local people, seems unlikely to be enough to save it from an uncertain future.

It was last year that a blaze swept through the hall almost totally destroying the building which in recent times had been used as a venue for a night-club and discotheque.

One person particularly concerned about the fate of the hall is Cynthia Jolly from Highfield, the daughter of the late Canon Reginald Jolly, who was rector of St Mary's from 1928 until 1945 and who developed an extension to the building in 1931.

Cynthia said: "The hall is part of the very foundation of the city and it is impossible to exaggerate its importance. I believe sufficient remains of the hall for it to be re-built and re-used once again as a community and cultural centre.

"Early maps of Southampton show a long building on the site with a gatehouse. It was a chantry house, a residence for priests and lay priests and a grammar school or college attached to the mother church.

"It was also a place where people sang. For centuries prayers for the dead were chanted there.'' The original Chantry or Chanter's House was demolished in the 16th century and it is said that the rubble was used to build the foundations of what is now known as East Street.

For many years Cynthia has fought hard to ensure the Chantry Hall remains part of Southampton but despite her tireless efforts even English Heritage no longer considers the previously listed building to be worth restoring. The Civic Centre confirmed that no planning application has been received for the site.

The Chantry Hall, officially opened on October 12, 1925, was first listed by English Heritage in September, 1988 in part due to its association with St. Mary's Church opposite.

A spokesman for English Heritage said: "While we never recommend de-listing lightly, the church hall has had significant alteration and losses brought on by the fire last year.

"The building is now a roofless shell and the hall's interior has lost many original features and monuments which were noted in the original listing.

"Chantry Hall was listed partly for its social function which is no longer applicable, although its presence, including several plaques, remains of strong interest. It remains a building of local interest but it is not sufficiently intact or special architecturally in a national context to merit retention on the list.'' According to a church history published in 1929 the construction of Chantry Hall was part of a number of schemes to bring about closer contact between the clergy and Southampton people.

"One has been the opportunity afforded to the parishoners in placing the Deanery grounds at the service of the parishoners, for the purposes of social festivities and healthy sport,'' said the history book.

"Here, in fact, in this Deanery field was born the Southampton Football Club, still called the Saints, as also the Deanery Cricket Club, which has produced some great Hampshire players.'' In the 1980s the church authorities submitted a plan for low-cost housing on the site but this was thwarted by the then environment minister, Virginia Bottomley who made the hall a Grade 2 listed building.