History
The village hall was originally a school, built in 1866. The squire, Herbert Prodgers, had bought the land and demolished the cottages on the site. The school and schoolhouse cost £650 and had accommodation for 100 pupils and 3 teachers. It remained an all age school (5-15 years) until new secondary school buildings opened in Chippenham in 1956. The premises became inadequate with no permanent playing field and poor toilets, heating and ventilation.
In 1978 a new school was built in The Ridings and was opened on 11th October 1979 and the old school was disused. In the late 1980s, after many years of effort, the old school was acquired for the parish and was updated to become the new Village Halls. (Previously the village used the building by the telephone and post boxes – now known as the Old Village Hall – which had also been used as a skittle alley.)
Please note that old documents relating to the village hall, and how the current building was acquired, have been deposited with Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre, Chippenham.