Recent history of the Village Hall
Ravensworth Village Hall was built in 1841 as the village school. For around the past 50 years it has been used as the community hall for the village.
The hall is used for a variety of purposes, including meetings and social functions.
The building was upgraded and improved in 1983 by a group of local volunteers but by late 2019 the condition had gradually deteriorated and over the past 5 years a new team of local residents has been actively planning and managing improvements to the fabric of the building and the facilities within.
History of the building
The original hall was the village school classroom, and a further extension was later added to the north – the current location of the entrance porch and reception area. The primary school occupied the building until the 1960’s. An archive photograph from the later years is shown here.
We are keen to obtain any personal stories, memories and pictures from local people who may have attended the primary school in its previous location in what is now the village hall. Does anyone recognise any of the children playing on the village green in the above picture? Was one of them you?
If you have memories to share we would love to hear from you. Please contact us by sending an email to
ravensworth.village @gmail.com
Founding Stone Uncovered during renovation
During internal refurbishment carried out in 2020 a date stone was uncovered on the north wall of the original building, built in 1841, which was for many years the village primary school. See photo.
Re-opening of partially refurbished hall
Peter Wilson, who originally attended the village school in this building, cutting the tape to open the refurbished village hall on 28th August 2021.
See below for details of the upgrading project to date
Ravensworth Village Hall Upgrading Project 2020 to 2024
A phased project to upgrade and modernise Ravensworth Village Hall has been undertaken over the past 5 years, commencing in 2020. This has been financed by local fund-raising events and numerous grants provided by various bodies, locally and nationally.
A wide range of improvements have been made, including:
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Complete replacement and redesign/refitting of the kitchen area, including installation of modern equipment
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Upgrading and significant refitting of the village hall toilets. The new toilets are modern, clean and offer disabled access. The original ageing metal windows were also replaced in the toilet block
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Replacement of the ceiling in the main hall and re-plastering of the internal walls
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Installation of new LED light fittings with a dimmer switch to the main hall
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Repair/replacement of the roof
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Repointing of the north wall and repairs to the water table stones
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Re-pointing and repair of the stone windows and replacement of broken glass in the windows
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Removal of concrete around the external walls and creation of a 'soak-away'
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Repairs to and replacement of broken and uneven concrete paving to render safe access
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Fitting of new curtains to help with insulation and acoustics.
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In May 2023 we unexpectedly had to replace the central heating boiler.
The two remaining short-term improvements intended are
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Construction of a disability access to the main entrance of the hall
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Improvement of the area surrounding the hall.
Flower Planting Around the Village - Summer 2020 - present
Due to the kind generosity of Ravensworth Nurseries commencing during the summer of 2020 we have been donated a colourful range of bedding plants. These have been used to replant the numerous tubs around the village and we also re-planted a couple of flower beds adjacent to the Village Hall.
The photos below show some of the tubs and flower beds. Several villagers have kindly assisted with watering the tubs for several months during the summer.
We are very grateful to Ravensworth Nurseries (now sadly closed) for their generosity through many years.
