Conservation and development of the most ancient standing building in Bristol, enabling its full and proper use and securing a sustainable future. St James Priory, dating from 1129, is Grade I listed, being of exceptional historic and architectural interest. The building was in a very bad condition, the roof leaked and Norman decorative details were being lost, consequently it was on the English Heritage Buildings at Risk Register. The site is also home to The St James Priory Project, a Charitable Trust that offers support and treatment for people recovering from drug and alcohol addictions. The Church includes a number of spaces that had significant drawbacks, especially the North Aisle and East End Rooms, because of their poor state of repair, unsatisfactory environment, inaccessibility and lack of facilities. The Heritage Lottery Fund awarded St James Priory a £3.2m grant to repair and conserve the building, to improve its understanding and appreciation by a wide range of people and to sustain the long term maintenance of the building through its beneficial use. The proposed scheme included the insertion of meeting rooms and spaces for interpretation in the Victorian north aisle. These spaces can also be used for green room and reception area when performances or concerts are staged. A new glazed link is created to the north of the building, providing a circulation route outside the main body of the Church. This area also provides an attractive ‘break-out’ space and kitchen facility for the meeting rooms. At the east end of the Church is a new café that provides a frontage for the Church on the busy pedestrian route between the bus station and the main shopping centre in Bristol.