Village Hall

The original Village Hall was donated by local landowners, the Clerke Brown family, and is now a private house situated on the corner of Pleck Lane and the High Street. It became too small to meet the needs of an expanding village in the 1970s and land known as Pleck Meadow was acquired for the building of a new Village Hall.

Plans were drawn up in 1978, estimates obtained and the hall was eventually built at a cost of £85,024. The money was raised by an assortment of grants, fundraising and donations with the the bulk, £46,000, coming from the Dept. of Education and Science (through Oxfordshire County Council), £12,000 from the SODC, £11,000 from Aston Rowant Parish Council, £9,000 in loans and £24,973 from the sale of The Old Village Hall, plus sundry donations, VAT refunds etc.

The new Village Hall was opened on a foggy night in January 1981 by Col. Clerke Brown and, although owned by the Parish Council, is managed by The Hillwerke Trust, a registered charity. The Trust has overseen regular improvements to the Hall over the years with, amongst other things, a new heating system, replacement windows and updated kitchen facilities, while the construction of a patio and children’s play area has added to its popularity as a venue for a range of regular and one-off events.

With the versatility of two separate, yet linked, rooms, it is an ideal venue for children’s and adult parties, as well as hosting a number of regular events. Village functions include fund raising events for other charities, Quiz Nights and rehearsal rooms for musical societies, dance classes etc. Barn dances and live musical entertainment also raise funds for the Hall itself.

The Hall is popular not only with the residents of Kingston Blount and Aston Rowant but from the surrounding villages as well (there are excellent car parking facilities).

The Playing Field was also purchased from Col. Clerke Brown, with the aid of loans, for the sum of £7800, prior to the development of the Village Hall, and the addition of a children’s playground, as mentioned above, has enhanced this area. Pleck Wood, an area of natural woodland at the end of the playing field, was established in 2000 as a Millennium project and provides for a pleasant stroll. The combined use of the Hall and the playing fields allows Caravan Clubs to hold annual rallies.

(Hire charges for the Hall, availability and booking details can be found on the Village Hall website (www.kbvh.org) and in the Parish Notes.)