The original Village Hall (now demolished) was given to the four parishes of Beacon Hill in 1929 by Sir Follet Holt. It served the village well for many years, and in addition to the many clubs who used its premises, it also had a purpose-built snooker club in the extension, and the local nursery school was held in the sports changing rooms below. During the first decade of the 21st century plans were formulated to rebuild the facility but it took many years for these to be accepted by the villagers!
Photo courtesy of the Francis Frith Collection
The new building was funded by selling off land used as the sports field in the centre of the village. New housing was built around the hall and the cricket club, Football Club and tennis courts which were previously located here were given new grounds close to the centre of the village and near other amenities as part of the re-development.
The land surrounding the hall was reduced and new housing built around the hall. The old hall remained in place whilst the new one was being built next to it, and it was interesting to see them side by side. The cricket club, Football Club and tennis courts which were previously located here were given new grounds close to the centre of the village and near other amenities as part of the re-development. The newly situated sports field is considerably larger than the old one, incorporating two full size football pitches and a mini pitch for the youngsters; new changing rooms have also been built . A cricket field with pavilion is also incorporated in this area, along with four tennis courts with a small pavilion and parking.
The new village hall was finished in October 2005 and gained a Design Award from the Maldon District Council in 2006. It is home to many clubs, and is in frequent use by the villagers.
I lived in Wickham Bishops from 1988 – 2023 and the old Village Hall was the centre for many activities that my children were involved with when they were young. They also went to the local nursery school that was held in the changing rooms for the football club in the winter and the cricket club in the summer. They learnt to play tennis on the courts in the grounds of the hall and played badminton inside. I ran the Toddler group for several years once a week and it was a great way to meet other Mums with children of a similar age.
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