St Paul’s Hall

This year, the University is delighted to celebrate the 190th anniversary of St Paul’s Hall.  As the venue for hundreds of graduations and a range of concerts, including the world renowned Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, it has been the location for thousands of joyous occasions.

In September, St Paul’s and the University added to these honours by playing the proud host to a royal investiture for the first time in its history.  An investiture is the formal ceremony where people are given the authority and regalia of high office, and at St Paul’s 36 people were awarded a BEM (British Empire Medal), four received an MBE and one OBE was granted.  The honours were awarded by the Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Ed Anderson (who acts as the Queen’s personal representative) along with the High Sheriff of West Yorkshire, Clive Lloyd.

St Paul’s long history of music tradition in Huddersfield is well established.  However less well known is its direct link with the Royal family.  During the mid 1800s, the organist for St Paul’s, Huddersfield-born Walter Parratt, was Knighted and appointed as ‘Master of the Queen’s Musick’ to Queen Victoria.

Completed in 1831, St Paul’s was designed by John Oates, architect of the original Huddersfield Infirmary, in the Early English style, ‘with plain untraceried lancets and… thrifty application of decorative features’ (David Wyles), and built by eminent local builder and entrepreneur, Joseph Kaye. St Paul’s was one of a number of ‘Commissioners’ churches built to serve the needs of a growing population and in response to the rise of Nonconformity. Later additions to the chancel in the 1880s reflected the changing nature of Anglican worship. In March 1964, St Paul’s Church was dedicated as Huddersfield Technical College Chapel by the Archbishop of York, Dr Coggan, and converted from a church in 1980.