About the Village Hall
Located in the centre of Watchfield (Oxfordshire), on the corner of the High Street and Chapel Hill, next to the picturesque older part of the village.
We are a registered charity with the Charities Commission, Watchfield Village Hall, CIO. The registered aims of the CIO are to establish and run a village hall for the benefit of the inhabitants of Watchfield, and provide facilities for recreation and a meeting place within the village.
The Village Hall charity is run by a board of elected trustees, we are always pleased to have new members join us, see the details on our Contact page if you are interested in finding out more about us.
History of the Village Name
The name of the village was first recorded as Wacenesfel in 726, and in the Domesday Book of 1086 was referred to as Wachenesfeld. The current spelling dates back to 1731. It is thought the name originated from a personal name or from the Anglo-Saxon ‘wæcce/wæccan‘ meaning ‘wakefulness/watchfulness‘. The ending ‘feld‘ had the meaning ‘open land’.
The village comprises the attractive old village, centred around the High Street, and the newer military accommodation for the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom which is to the south of the village. The older part of the village has some attractive old cottages, some in the local style of chalk and thatch, and in the centre is the parish church of St. Thomas which was erected in 1857.
The Manor of Watchfield belonged to Abingdon Abbey until the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The Manor had various owners until it finally became part of Lord Barrington’s estate at the turn of the 19th Century.
Help to raise funds for the Village Hall
As well as hiring out the premises, the Village Hall Committee also arrange fund raising events, all proceeds from these events are used to maintain and run the Village Hall. Your participation in our events will help us to raise funds and continue to be able to run the Village Hall. We have signed up to join the White Horse Community Lottery (run by the Vale of White Horse District Council) . If you purchase tickets you have the chance to win £25,000 whilst also supporting local good causes, the Village Hall being one of them. Click on the link for details https://www.whitehorselottery.co.uk