Wills Hall
Introduction
Wills Hall is a catered residence situated in Stoke Bishop.
The Hall was built around a 19th century house set in beautiful grounds on the edge of the Downs, with splendid views towards the Severn estuary and Wales. It was given by the Wills family and opened as the first Stoke Bishop hall of residence in 1929. The Old Quad is built of Cotswold stone around an enclosed lawn in a traditional ‘Oxbridge’ style, with buildings forming a New Quad added in 1962 and 1990.
Living at Wills Hall
Members of Hall come from all kinds of background and are a cross-section of the University. It has a lively social, cultural and sporting life, led by a strong Junior Common Room (JCR) committee, with the support of the Warden, Deputy Warden and senior residents.
Every year there is a range of events including bar quizzes and open mic nights, music evenings, plays and musicals, and termly themed parties. The social highlight of the year is the Summer Ball. The Hall has tennis and squash courts on site, as well as a croquet lawn. Formal dinner (at which gowns are worn) is held every Friday. Apart from that, breakfast and the main meal are self-service. Former members of Hall have the chance to come back for ‘Returners’ Formals’ and many join the Wills Hall Association to stay in touch with the friends they make for the rest of their lives.
Students can still enjoy the stunning Victorian billiard room in the original house, as well as a library, quiet room, computer room, table tennis room, lounge and bar. On site is also the Monica Wills Chapel, in which a wide range of services take place in term-time, as well as regular music recitals. One of the Hall’s three grand pianos and a Peter Collins pipe organ are located in the chapel.
Accommodation
Wills Hall has many accommodation types. In Old Quad (1929), 13 separate front doors lead to study bedrooms with built-in washbasins. New Quad, XYZ, built in 1962 and refurbished in summer 2011, provides single study bedrooms also with their own washbasins. Rooms in UVW (1990) have en suite facilities arranged along corridors. There are also a few shared sets in Old Quad consisting of linked inner and outer rooms. Old Quad and XYZ are currently arranged in single-sex staircases/floors, while UVW corridors are mixed. All blocks have kitchens fitted with fridges and microwaves; in UVW these are part of larger lounges. There is a launderette.
Contacts
Parry's Lane
Stoke Bishop
Bristol BS9 1AE
Tel +44 (0) 117 9034367
Fax +44 (0) 117 9034370
bristol.ac.uk/wills-hall
Student Support Administrator
Sarah Price
wills-hall@bristol.ac.uk
Warden
Julian Rivers
‘The thing I love most about Wills....the people, the grounds, the formals, the set up, the size, the lifestyle, the position, the dining hall, the chapel, the quads, the banter’
‘I love the sense of community and delight in the surroundings of Wills. I have never lived in such a beautiful building and with such beautiful grounds.’
‘Wills is simply brilliant - the best year of my life to date, no contest’