Author Carol Needham
Southrepps boasts a fine Village Hall. It sits in more than 6 acres purchased by the Parish council in 1921 with considerable fund-raising and help from the popular and philanthropic Rector Humphrey Barclay. The land with a further 64 acres of allotments had been rented for more than 50 years from the Buxton and Suffield estates. The area now includes a recreation ground with a football pitch. 2 children’s play areas, an adult outdoor gym, a Bowls Club and about 20 allotments. Generations of children walked up the footpath from Lower Street for games before the School had its own playing field in 1974.
There was no Village Hall until after the Second World War. Most village events took place in the Long Room at the back of the New Inn Public House (now Ham House.)
In 1948, the Parish Council jointly with the British Legion purchased 2 ex RAF huts from RAF Watton for £75. Planning permission was granted for a temporary Sports Pavilion.
The Southrepps British Legion then sold the huts to Parish for £75.
In 1953 after severe snow storms the walls of the huts started to bow out in a dangerous manner. There was much comunication between Fred Rowles of the British Legion and a relative Halter Hanson Rowles as to the best way ro resolve the problem. Including a calculation that the weight of the snow would have been about four and a half tons!
Above is an extract from the exchange. The British Legion gave the Parish £483 for the repairs to be carried out and they were obviously effective as the hall lasted another 20 plus years.
These huts served the village well into the 1970s but they were deteriorating so badly that a group of villagers started fund-raising for a new purpose built Village Hall. The Chairman of the group was farmer Peter Tyler.
Through coffee mornings, jumble sales, fetes, and gymkhanas, the amazing sum of £23,000 was raised. The rest of the £60,000 was given by grants from the County and District Council. The old Hall was dismantled and work on the new Hall started in March 1984. The old Hall was sold to the Air Museum at St Faiths in Norwich. Where it is still in use today(2026).
Inside the Old Village Hall
The new Hall was opened in September 1984 by Radio Norfolk Wally Webb. Sadly, Peter Tyler died before the Hall was finished.
Front Row Mr Brock, Renee Hooker, Kay Winter, John Daniels, Man form the EDP Norman Hooker , unknown.
The Hall won the Best Run Village Hall competition run by the EDP in 1989 and are being presented with a cheque for £100. Mr Daniels was quoted as saying it was incredible that they had only dropped four points of the 450 available despite one of the windows having been damaged by vandals just before the judging.
John Daniels, Sue Arnold, Rep from Calor and Kay Winter.
The current Village Hall is 40 years old and still going strong. Over the years various groups have met there, WI, Drama Group, Country Dancing, Carpet Bowls and many others.
Weekly the Southrepps Chorale rehearse there and a children’s Ballet group meet as well as a Ukulele Club and Pilates Group. Two Charity groups meet weekly LAMS and So…… The Hall is also available for private hire, parties and weddings.https://www.southrepps.online/villagehall
The Hall is also now home to Southrepps History Hub.