About the Poughill Village Hall
1700-1994
The village hall is on the site of what was originally a Church House. This was built in the 15th Century for the community to hold celebrations and brew ale. Henry VIII broke from Rome in 1534 and seized church properties. By 1595, the puritan movement had outlawed any parish ales or revels. In 1613, the property was sold on to John Tuckfield of Crediton. In 1730, Gertrude Pyncombe passed away and left £5 a year for teaching. By 1850 a new parish school was created on-site at a cost of £130 paid for by Pyncombe. By 1856 the Church of England had taken over responsibility for the school which was run in conjunction with the Pyncombe Trust. This then became a national school in 1944 when the government ‘absorbed’ the Church of England schools into the national system. In 1993 falling numbers forced the school closure and it ran for a year as a voluntary community school, but closed in December 1994.
1994 - onwards
In 1994 the council were going to build on the land, until the church intervened and said – “It’s ours, you never paid for it”. And then a local historian Pat Summerall stepped in and said they were both wrong and it actually belonged to the Pyncombe Trust! A 5-year court battle ensued before the Pyncombe Trust was victorious. The trustees are duty-bound by law to maintain and manage the trust in a prudent and honest way and too, wherever possible, maximise the trust funds to allow it to continue to meet the ideals of the original endowment. They decided to let the building to the village at an affordable rent for the benefit of the village. The rent collected is used by the trust to support children’s education
Currently
Under the ownership of the Pyncombe Trust, the Village Hall is run by a
committee of local volunteers who provide events to enhance and support the local community and maintain the building and grounds.
Members of the Committee
Other members include Adam and Tina Clarke, Diana Rossiter, Paul Mapp, Liz Rogers and Hannah Johnson