William Blake Memorial Hall

Market Sq, St James’ St. South Petherton TA13 5BT

The Blake Hall is a registered charity managed by the William Blake Memorial Hall Management Committee, which comprises of a representative from the Parish Council, representatives from the WI and the Art Group together with various parishioners. The Hall is in the centre of the village with a main hall on the 1st floor. The Parish Council are Custodian Trustees of the building.

The Facilities

1. Main Hall – 10 x 10.5 metres
2. A stage – 7.5 x 3.3 metres
3. A kitchen with an oven, hob and fridge
4. Recently refurbished toilet facilities, including disabled
5. A bar area and full Public Entertainment Licence
6. Amplified Public Address System
7. A separate Committee Room, suitable for meetings for up to twelve people

The Hall has a capacity for 200 seated closely, 85 seated at tables, 170 dancing, 102 dancing and seated at tables.

The Cost

Main Hall, including use of kitchen facilities – £12 per hour
Committee Room – £6.00 per hour
(Special rates available for regular bookings)

 

To Book

Antonia Gatehoue is the bookings manager.  Her contact details are:

Mobile: 07894 473908

Email: Antonia Gatehouse – antonia.gatehouse@gmail.com

 

Hall Manager

Contact: Linda Bleasdale

Phone: 07817 648662

Email: Linda Bleasdale – lindableasdale14@gmail.com

 

The Officers

Chairman – Francis Blake (01460 241062)
Secretary – Jo Tudor (01460 391735)
Treasurer –Anne Brown anna2annie@gmail.com

 

Present regular users of the Blake Hall

Monday: Yoga, Sixty Club, Parish Council (1st Mon) WI (2nd Mon)
Tuesday: Pilates, Line Dancing, Legs Bums and Tums
Wednesday: Life Drawing, Bridge,  Brownies, Line Dancing
Thursday: Art Group,  Exercise Class
Friday: Pilates, Ballet

Sunday: Insanity HIIT

About The Hall

The village hall building known as the William Blake Memorial Hall was built in 1911 in Ham Hill stone. It incorporated the Old Market House and replaced The Old Fire Engine House and two old cottages that were bought by the sons of William Blake, a prominent local landowner, for the new facility.

In modern terms it was effectively a redevelopment of what was already in place. The Old Market House, which was built in 1843, was a single storey building with open arcades for use as a market. The new ‘fire engine house’ was accommodated in the new William Blake Memorial Hall and the horse drawn fire engine continued to be housed there until 1951 when Somerset County Council decided it was surplus to requirements.

At the apex of the roof is a bell turret housing the fire bell, used to sound the alarm to summon the firemen when the fire engine was called out. On the outside of the building is a stone carving of the Coat of Arms of the Blake family and a date stone of 1911.

The main hall is upstairs and below is a range of rooms designed and used originally as a Liberal Club. In it’s history the hall has also been a centre for evacuees during the Second World War, a dance hall, a cinema, a library and a schools meal service.

The William Blake Memorial Hall is a dominant building tight in the centre of the village of South Petherton in Somerset, England. As such it is also the centre of many of the activities that go to make village life, continuing to be the venue for many varied activities.