Hanslope Village Hall began life as Hanslope 'Top School' in the area of the Village known, due to its proximity to St James the Great, as Church End
It was built around 1840, financed by Squire Edward Watts of Hanslope Park.
Children had been previously educated in the Vicarage House funded by the Pierrepoint Charity. The Hanslope Feoffee Charity funded the school from 1877, until it was handed over to the Hanslope School Board
In 1908 it was merged with another school and the building was managed by the Hanslope Sunday School Endowment
Church End 'Top School', interior and exterior, around 1925
Around 1872 a second school was built at Green End, known as the 'Bottom School'
In 1935 the Top School building was transferred to the Sunday School Endowment and a Trust established.
When the pupils moved to the newly-built Primary School in the 1960s, the Top School then ceased to exist as a school and the building became known as 'The Church Institute' and served as the Parish Hall
At that point, the building was in a very poor state of repair and after much negotiation and discussions The Hanslope Village Hall Trust Charity was established in 1979 which leased the building for forty years from the Hanslope Sunday School Trust
With the aid of a grant and with a major fundraising effort the building was enlarged. The main hall was doubled in size; a toilet block was added and a modern kitchen created.
The completely refurbished building was officially opened in 1982, by actor Brian Wilde.
Click Here to solve Puzzle
The cache is a small clip lock box with a logbook and small pencil. There is space for small swaps. The final location is a short walk from the Village Hall. I would recommend accessing from the footpath and not from the roadside.
This cache is part of a series of caches which are placed at or near village halls and community centres. For details and statistics visit the Village Hall Series website Click here