EASTON ON THE HILL VILLAGE HALL

The Village Hall is a typical Victorian property, built of square coursed limestone with ashlar dressings and a Collyweston Stone slate roof.

It has a high roof and gothic style, stone mullioned windows that have plate tracery, cusped-head lights and roundels.

One of the main features of the hall is a square bell tower with an ashlar cupola and spiralet. A partially legible panel on the towers records that it was originally built as a school from the Richard Garford endowment fund of 1670.

The tower houses a Benson clock that was installed at a cost of £65.11s. 84 villagers gave £5.19s between them towards the cost of the clock, giving rise to the local name of ‘The Cadger’, by which it is still affectionately known today.

The land, on which the village hall is built, originally housed a barn and stables for the Blue Bell Inn, and was owned by the Marquis of Exeter.

In 1867 the Marquis agreed to exchange this land for the old village school premises. The new school was designed by a Stamford Architect, Edward Browning, and was built by Messrs. Perkins and Sons, who were builders in the Easton on the Hill. The total cost of building this school was £1200 and most of the money was raised by public subscription.

New Road was constructed at this time to provide access to the school ready for its opening in 1868. The building remained in use as an elementary school until it was deemed to be inadequate, and new premises were build in New Road in 1928.

The old school continued to be used as the school infants department until 1975, after which it was sold to Easton on the Hill Village Hall Fund Committee for use as a village hall.

In 1967 there was the first suggestion that the Village Infant School was to become vacant and might be available for acquisition as a village hall. The sale of the school did not occur until 1974, when it was offered to the Village Hall Fund Committee for £3550.