Architectural plan of Hook Village Hall, 1949

An annotated architects drawing of the proposed Hook, Greatfields and Greenhill Village Hall, dated 1949.

The three villages had a long held commitment to build a hall to serve the local community and as early as 1944 the Hook Village Hall Fund Committee was formed. After securing the necessary land from Mr Edmonds of Swindon, who was sympathetic to their cause, and raising money from all sorts of events and activities, they were in a position to draw up a plan. .

In 1949 the committee sought an estimate from builders, Smith & Hope of Wootton Bassett. Their plan, shown here, is on a scale of 8ft to 1" and includes a note that 'the cloakroom and vestibule have been erected by the Building Committee and will be complete by September 1949'.

Smiths & Hope provided an estimate of £ 1,973.17s for building the hall with a further £103 for erecting equipment and £80 for lighting. Together with their own funds the committee expected to secure a Carnegie Grant but this would still leave them with a shortfall of £1,800. After obtaining two further estimates they selected R.J. Leighfield & Sons of Swindon (£2,003.3s.7d) to undertake the works and sent their tender together with the plan to the Ministry for Education and the National Council of Social Service to try and secure both permission and funding.

However in March1950 the National Council of Social Service rejected the scheme for 'a permanent hall' and instead offered a slightly smaller 'standard hut' to be built at the Ministry's cost and for which there would be a modest annual rental of £13.

The committee successfully applied for the alternative scheme and the new hall was officially opened in August 1952.