The hall

A history of the hall

In 1953 the building was purchased by the Community and became the Village Hall. In 1963 the Hall was granted charitable status. Various agreements were made to facilitate access, drainage etc and some land sold for private use. Extensive renovation was carried out in 1997-98 and over subsequent years, notably to roofing, kitchen, toilets etc.

The Hall is run by a Management Board with Trustees and an elected chairman.

In the early years, under some dynamic leadership, the Hall hosted many events and clubs – The Spinners, Art Club, Sewing Club, various tabletop sales, public meetings, birthday parties, wildlife meetings etc.

In those early years Meddon Hall was unique in the immediate area with a large ‘catchment’ from local villages – Woolsery, Bradworthy, Welcome etc. These now have very successful community hubs of their own.

Meddon is entitled a ‘village’ but is a ‘hamlet’ with no church, shops, public house, or other amenities as compared with neighbouring villages. It has no Parish Council but is part of Hartland Parish. It has a generally elderly resident population.

Notwithstanding these limitations, it is still a functioning hub for the community with a monthly quiz, well attended with supporters from Welcome and Hartland, an Arts Club, table tennis and the Hall hosts meetings from local bodies and birthday parties, plant sales and an annual barbecue.

Its value as a community hub was demonstrated some years ago when developers were planning to erect 5 [later 4] 127 metre wind turbines to the west of the village. Local opposition, close to an Area of Outstanding National Beauty, was strong and was co-ordinated through a STOPIT campaign centred on the Village Hall. Substantial funds were raised to mount a [successful] legal challenge. This was the birth of the Monthly Quiz.

In a separate development on 24th November 2007 Meddon Green Local Nature Reserve [LNR] was inaugurated on land close o the village centre by Hartland Parish Council and North Devon Coast and Countryside Service. This has been well supported by local residences and over time, whilst it has its own Management Board, adopted’ and supported by the Hall.

In conclusion the Hall is in a very good structural condition – the kitchen is state of the art, well heated. It just needs to be used more. In addition to use by clubs it is an ideal location for birthday parties, celebrations etc, at a very reasonable charge. If we don’t use it we will lose it.