In the centre of the old village, next to the school and opposite the church, is the Memorial Hall. It was conceived as a village hall as early as 1913 and the villagers established a fund (each paying just 6d weekly) to finance the purchase of land and erect a building. As you might expect the First World War quickly took priority and it wasn’t until 1920 that the process recommenced when the village came to an agreement with Phipps, the local brewer, to buy land they owned where the Hall now stands.

 

However, the process of raising sufficient funds to buy the land and build the Hall was a lengthy process based, as it was, on the collection of small weekly amounts from the villagers. It wasn’t until 1931 that there were sufficient funds to buy the land and start the build and, therefore, the Hall wasn’t completed until late in 1932.

 

From the outset the Hall was run as a charity, managed by a small group of trustees supported by a bigger and more representative Hall Council. Its ‘Memorial’ title was adopted to recognize those villagers involved in the 1st World War although the Hall isn’t the actual village war memorial, which stands in the churchyard.

 

The Hall was always seen as a village facility and, from its completion, was available for hire. In some ways, today’s hires are recognisably similar to those in the early years. For most of its history the self-financing Hall had a modest budget that allowed for gradual, incremental refinements and improvements. In recent years, prior to COVID-19, the finances became healthier as hires increased income to make it possible to make improvements that have turned the Hall into a well- equipped, well-maintained, modern venue. Since a significant refurbishment in 2009-10, when new windows, toilets and storage were added, a series of further improvements have been undertaken including a new kitchen donated by Howdens, a new boiler system and a new roof which was helped by a Parish Council donation. The most recent improvements include a new wooden floor, completely replaced flat roofs and a new portable audio system. Further improvements in facilities are planned for the future.

 

The core of the Hall’s income is still derived from hiring and this has been helped considerably in recent years by the daily weekday use of the facility by the local pre-school playgroup which was also able to operate at reduced capacity during COVID-19 lockdown. During normal (Non-COVID) times, evenings and weekends are also heavily booked with a range of organisations and activities involved. The current rate for new long-term hire is £10.00 an hour, £17.00/£18.00 an hour for one-off meetings, parties and similar events.

 

One of the more satisfying aspects of the Hall’s operation is the way it has remained true to the original concept of the villagers a century or so ago. It is still run by villagers and supported by village organisations such as Wootton WI and Wootton Heritage Organisation who both use its facilities and raise funds on its behalf. It remains a valuable village facility available to all villagers as its founders intended.