The Village Hall
Main Hall
Seating for 80 people
Wifi, AV with drop down screen and Bluetooth surround sound, Hearing loop, 14 x 4-seat tables, 18 x 2-seat tables, fully fitted kitchen, toilet facilities.
Upstairs Meeting Room
Dimensions: 5.0m x 3.5m; Cost: £6.50/hr; Seats 8
Upstairs Small meeting room
Dimensions: 3.5m x 2.7m; Cost: £5.50/hr, Ideal for one to one yoga
Bookings
Click HERE to book.
See HERE for the calendar.
Summary of Costs
| Room | Size (m) | Village £/hr | Visitor £/hr |
|---|---|---|---|
Main Hall |
14.0 x 5.3 |
£9.50 |
£14.50 |
Large Meeting |
5.0 x 3.5 |
£6.50 |
£6.50 |
Small Meeting |
3.5 x 2.7 |
£5.50 |
£5.50 |
History
Our Village hall was built at the sole expense of the Rev. Henry Clutterbuck in 1882. It was originally designed as a Coffee House and Readings Room for young men, along with a private dwelling place for the manager and his family. It was enlarged by public subscription in 1924, with an extension to give the building a room large enough to support amateur dramatics in the village.
Various groups have owned the village hall since it was built: originally gifted to Russell Duckworth to create a recreational place for the village in 1882. The Duckworth family subsequently gifted it to the Diocese of Bath and Wells in 1915. In 1978, a few years after the last live-in manager retired, the “Trustee Ownership” was transferred to the Parish Council, and in 1981 it was transferred to the Charity Commission.
Although the village hall played a very important part in the social life of Buckland Dinham for more than a century, and was the venue for many of the important celebrations of the 20th Century, by the 1980s it was in a very poor state of repair. A meeting was called to discuss its fate, including whether to sell. Happily, it was decided that a management committee be set up to oversee firstly the renovation and refurbishment, and then the maintenance of the hall. The village hall was effectively saved.
Buckland Dinham now has a spacious and well equipped hall with wifi, audio set up, hearing loop system, a screen, a stage, a large kitchen, and three upstairs rooms for smaller meetings. Its fully enclosed gardens with far stretching views, are perfect for outdoor events, marquees and bouncy castles.
The Village Hall Management Committee has organised many events in the past to generate funds for the hall’s maintenance and ongoing improvements, including solar panels for the roof. Events have included Barn Dances, Quiz Evenings, Story Telling, Dinner Dances, and a great variety of musical concerts ranging from Trad Jazz to Appalachian clog dancing.
The village hall is used regularly by local groups, as seen in the above list of organisations currently operating in Buckland Dinham. It is hired out for various other meetings, activities and events including the annual Christmas Fayre, and also stores the History Group’s vast archive of materials.