The Rectory Room

Along a path beside the Rectory, through a small copse, into a clearing, the Rectory Room was constructed of a wooden frame covered in corrugated iron sheets. With a stage, equipped with a piano, and an excellent dance floor, the building was used regularly for dances (ballroom, of course!), skittles, shows, 'social' evenings full of team games and any other function that could be thought of. When the Rectory Room was declared unfit for use the community set to and raised thousands of £s to build a new modern Parish Hall. For many of the older members of the parish, fond memories of evenings spent in the old Rectory Room can be enjoyed.
  • 1921: The Rectory Room, built by Rev. Haslem and bought from him by Rev. Whitmell has now been purchased from him by the Church, for £150.
  • 1923: Rectory Room, new stove bought. Boiler house built.
  • 1925: The Rectory Room was painted on the outside by voluntary helpers led by Mr. Rowland. 
  • 1935: The Rectory Room was enlarged by the addition of a room for refreshments and a gentlemen’s cloakroom. 
  • 1935: Thursday 21st February: The S.E. pinnacle and centre of the Church Tower were struck by lightning, after a hailstorm lasting around 2 hours, causing large pieces of masonry to fall through the Church roof and resulting in a great deal of damage to the building. This article is reported elsewhere: click here. Services took place in the Rectory Rooms until January 12th 1936.
  • 1937: A new piano was bought for the Rectory Room and the exterior of the building was painted.
  • 1947: An electric boiler was installed at the Rectory Room at a cost of £11.
  • 1949: The exterior of the Rectory Room was repainted by Mr. S. Barber during July and August and some necessary repairs were done at the same time, at a total cost of £47.10s.0d. The money was withdrawn from the Rectory Room repair fund. A new stove was also installed at the end of the year, £9.5s.6d.
  • 1952: Some necessary repairs done to the foundations and floor of the Rectory Room, under the Ladies Cloakroom, at a cost of £22. The work was done by Mr. Barber of Week St. Mary and was consequent on extensive rotting of the main floor beams through faulty pillars and lack of free passage of air beneath the building.
  • 1970: The Rector's announcement from the pulpit of his decision to deny access to the Rectory Room because of a health and safety risk caused some aggravation amongst many parishioners. It was felt that the decision to close the Rectory Room should have been delayed until the building of the new Parish Hall was complete so as to continue to offer a meeting place for the parishioners.
  • 1971: January 1st: The Rectory Room was sold by the P.C.C., Week St. Mary to the Rector for the sum of £60. (This was signed by the Rector, W.T. Simpson and by the Treasurer, M. Cobbledick).
Here are two pictures, from the late 50s of a sadly missed community event 'the Christmas Party' held in the Rectory Room. Some of us may even recognise a few faces, or be in one of them!! First the children...
...then the turn of the senior members of the village.

The New Rectory Room

After some renovations to The Rectory, changes were made to the extension making it a small but comfortable meeting room.

50º 45'03.84N  4º 30'01.39W      OS: SX 237977      Elevation: 142m

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