Discover Parish Rooms

Highnam is an unusual village in having three community halls, their establishment is an interesting insight into village heritage. I have been fortunate to have access to minute books and correspondence for my research. The halls each have their own history which I will attempt to explain. All have had moments of crisis and celebration.

The first building was the Parish Room built in 1904 and funded by Hubert Parry to celebrate the coronation of King Edward V11, the foundation stone was laid by Lady Maud Parry. It comprised a hall with a fire place and stage with a kitchen to the rear. It features a relief of Edward V11 on the West Wall and a photograph of Hubert Parry in the fireplace alcove. There is a partly obscured commemorative carved plaque on the east wall adjoining the extension. The hall was intended to meet the social needs of the Parish and was run by a committee. Probably in the 1950’s the current kitchen and toilet block were added and the rear kitchen became a dressing room. The management rested with the Parish Council.  At this time the village school was located on the same site. The Parish Room ownership passed to Tom Fenton, Gambier Parry’s nephew, who leased it to the Parish for a peppercorn rent. Today the lessor is the Fenton Estate.

Although nearly 120 years old the quality of the original build was exceptional as there have been only minor repairs over the years. A subsidence problem on the corner of the kitchen block in 2018 was caused by diseased ash tree roots not workmanship.