Sole Street originally was just a Railway station a mile or so from the Village of Cobham near Gravesend. The station was built in 1861 at the insistence of the Earl of Darnley for his use, as recompense for the London Chatham and Dover Railway passing through his land. Housing soon sprang up around the station and now Sole Street has a greater population than its parent village of Cobham.
In 1888, to cater for the growing community, a smallish prefabricated Church Meeting Room, was delivered and erected near to the station in Sole Street. It, St. Mary's Church Meeting Room, remains the only community facility in the Village. It is in desperate need of modernisation and almost a complete rebuild, as the original construction is 100 years past its (25year) life expectancy. It is one of a very few of these buildings left. There is another in Hythe, the Luddesdown one has gone recently, as has the one in Cuxton (now in a museum in Maidstone). Look on Wikipedia to see more - click here for the link.
The Room was opened on Thursday 14 March 1889. The Vicar at that time was the Revd Arthur H Berger - brother of the owner of the paint company of the same name!
The hall had fallen into disrepair, needing the reconstruction of an asset to make it durable, compliant and safe to provide a community hub for physical, mental and spiritual health, improving our village to be a better place to live.
St Mary's Church Room has now been restord - to help build the community, especially those with special needs and isolation. The church will grow spiritually and numerically.
A Long-Awaited Restoration After a basic modernsation in the 1950s, the structure began showing its age. To preserve this historic asset, the PCC of St Mary Magdalene along with a dedicated community group launched a major initiative to restore the building inside and out.
Community Driven Success The effort brought together local expertise and financial backing:
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Grassroots Support: Local residents pledged and raised £20,000 to demonstrate strong community commitment for grant applications
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Volunteer Talent: Local experts—including a senior construction estimator, a bespoke carpenter, and a groundwork team—donated their skilled labor to oversee the structural work
A Modern Space for Sole Street Thanks to this collective drive, the building has been upgraded from a worn-out venue into a clean, functional, and welcoming meeting space. While preserving its unique Victorian character, the hall now better serves the parish for services, coffee mornings, and community gatherings for years to come.
To book St Marys Church Room for an event or function, or to find out more, CLICK HERE