St James's Church

St James’s Church stands in Hampton Hill, a quiet suburb in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. The building is a Grade II listed parish church of the Church of England. Its first structure opened in 1863, designed by William Wigginton. Enlargements followed in 1873, and the tower rose between 1887 and 1889. A clock by Smith of Derby was added in 1893. The church has been served by a series of vicars whose terms span more than 150 years. Fitzroy John Fitzwygram led from 1863 to 1881, followed by Hon. Henry Bligh until 1893. Charles Robert Job took charge in 1894 and remained until 1914. Later vicars include Rupert Hoyle Brunt, who arrived in 1951 after serving in Nottingham, and Revd Derek Winterburn, who began in 2016. Inside, the church contains a three-manual pipe organ installed in 1874. It was rebuilt and expanded several times, most recently in 1997 by John Males. The organ’s stops came from St Mary’s Church in Twickenham. Visitors find a calm interior with Victorian Gothic details and a working clock tower. The pews and stained glass reflect the 19th-century craftsmanship. The churchyard holds gravestones that date back to the 1860s.