On Sunday 7th September the Village Hall is holding a sponsored walk - a 5 mile guided ramble around Wedmore countryside taking in the highest point of Wedmore. All proceeds will help fund the renewal of the leaking flat roof.

Registration is £5 per family (to cover refreshments). Registration forms are available from:-

• Wayne at The Borough Venture
   

• The Paper Shop
   

• David Summers-Cooke, tel 713577

or download the registration form (as a PDF document) by clicking here.

Sponsorship forms can also be downloaded by clicking here.

A Methodist Schoolroom dating from 1818 originally stood on the site of the present Village; in 1881 it was sold for £568. 3s. 8d to the Church of England. The money came from : “voluntary subscriptions or gifts of Donors unknown”

It was proposed that the old building be pulled down and new premises be erected. “when so built, in manner to render them suitable as well for the purpose of the Church School on Sundays, as also of a Working Men’s Institute or Reading and Coffee Room to be open to the poor of Wedmore, or for the vestry or other Parochial meetings, or any other purpose that the Trustees might approve of”

In 1881 it was agreed that Mr Henry Hawkins a builder from Glastonbury should be contracted to undertake the work, and his tender of £522. 10s was accepted.

As time went on the Minute Book, kept by the Trustees, shows that the Trustees considered improvements to the Schoolroom and in 1893 they invited tenders for enlarging it. It is recorded that: “the only tender received was from Messrs J.Gibbs [Jimmy Gibbs’ grandfather] and S. Wall amounting to £165 – it was unanimously resolved that this be accepted”

Mr Solomon Wall was also asked to make alterations to the front wall around the Schoolroom. Solomon Wall was a well known mason in Wedmore and several houses were built by him that still stand in Wedmore and its surrounds today. The account shows that Solomon Wall was paid regularly for repairs and alterations. In December 1900 and 1901 he was asked to do necessary repairs to the roof. This is of particular interest as Solomon Wall is the great great grandfather of David Tucker, who works as a builder today and who has recently made repairs to the present Hall roof.

!n 1982 the Charity Commissioners leased the Hall to Wedmore Parish Council for 56 years which is renewable on request. The new Wedmore Village Hall Management Committee was formed to manage the building. This committee consists of representatives from all the organisations which regularly use the Hall, plus six elected independent members. Representatives from the Church Trustees and the Parish Council also sit on the committee.

Major alterations were carried out 30 years ago, rebuilding the small hall, kitchen and toilets and bar area, and moving the stage back to its original position. These alterations cost £54,794.60 and were met by grant aid from Somerset County Council, Sedgemoor District Council, Wedmore Parish Council and fund raising by the village hall committee.

Easter 1983 saw the grand opening of the renovated Wedmore Village Hall, and work has continued over the years to upgrade the facilities and adhere to new safety regulations.

In 2004 a major structural survey was carried out and a programme of repairs and renovations was identified costing approximately £60,000. A fund raising initiative was launched and to date about £55,000 has been raised and many improvements have been carried out. There is outstanding work to be done in replacing the flat roof which has begun to leak following the heavy rainfall. This roof and new sky lights are our top priority now.