The Parish Hall and Its Market Garden
Although the current building only dates to 1995, there has been a church hall on this site probably since the early 1950’s. Before the opening up of Thornhill Road, the land to the north of Rectory had been a market garden, Blackbird Gardens. The new road made this available for building. In 1954 Castle Ward Rural District Council sold part of the land for a new vicarage as part of their negotiations to take over the old vicarage to use as new council offices. The provision of the land for the parish hall which was built next door to the new vicarage was probably part of the deal.
Parish Hall — audio guide
Prior to this, a temporary classroom in the grounds of the old Infants School had been used as a parish hall.
Almost forty years after the church hall was built, it was replaced with the current church hall which was paid for out of the proceeds of the sale of the old Rectory off North Road.