The Hall at the entrance to the Village was built in the 1930's by A. Griffey and Son at a cost of £800, this being funded by the people of Northam. It was later taken over by the Anglican Church and was known as the Church Hall. The Hall was run by them until 2000 when they tried to build a new "Millenium Hall". This project never came to fruition but the Church had already decided to sell the Hall to raise some money to fund their new proposals.
At this time the Hall was really let full time to a Local Scout Group and was known as the Scout Hall and when the Church announced its desire to sell the late Judith Blackmore arranged for a local Charity, the Bideford Bridge Trust, to buy it and keep it for the use of the General Public and the Scouts. This arrangement failed as the "Trust" asked the Scout's to take on a full repairing lease which, the Scouts could not afford and so they left, and the Hall became poorly used. In recent years with the closure of Lenwood Country Club and the starting of new Activities and a new Youth Group the Hall is well used and booked for every evening of the week.
Since 2003 approaches were made to the owners by Northam Town Council to regain ownership and in July 2008 this finally was completed. The Council having agreed to take out a loan at a fixed interest rate to cover the cost of purchase and of repairs and improvements. The name has now been changed to the Northam Hall and a progamme of repairs and renovation has been drawn up which will restore the building to better condition and gain new and perhaps former users. |
