Asthall Leigh Memorial Hall
[collated by Anne Smith]
Delving through back copies of The Chronicle, it has been possible to put together a tapestry of articles that recount the history of the Memorial Hall and the site on which it stands.
Various local figures have shared their knowledge of the events that have shaped the Hall’s development and we reproduce key articles here with gratitude for their contributions and the support they each gave the Memorial Hall.
The articles are in historical order of the Memorial Hall events they describe, rather than in date order of when they were published.
Alastair Howatson, The Chronicle: 2007
Not very long ago the Chronicle published an article recounting the recent history of the Memorial Hall in Asthall Leigh, and the setting up of the Astally Arms. The earlier history of the Hall and of the site on which it stands is no less interesting. It was described more than 20 years ago in an article by Faith Sharpe and Ken Betteridge in the Journal of the Oxford Local History Association, and I am indebted to Ken for his help with this account, which is based on that article and a report that John Bowen wrote in 1999 when he was Chairman of the Hall’s Trustees (https://www.olha.org.uk/wp-admin/images/OLHAvol1no8pp26-30Sharpe.pdf).
In 1814 William Pauling, a farm worker, owned property comprising his own house, on the site of Boxtree Cottage, and an adjacent dwelling on the site of the Hall, lived in by Richard Baker, a labourer. In that year William made a will leaving the former ‘messuage’ (a dwelling house with outbuildings and land assigned to its use) to his daughter Elizabeth, and the latter to his younger brother Paul for his lifetime, after which it was to go to Elizabeth’s illegitimate daughter Mary. (William appears to have been a fairly astute farm worker, for he also owned what is now Old Cottage, and left that to Elizabeth too).
William died in 1819. He had failed to appoint an executor for his will, and years later in 1857, Elizabeth (now Haines) was given legal authority to administer it by an ‘Administration’ drawn up by Dr Robert Phillimore. She could scarcely have gone higher – Phillimore, official-principal to the arch deaconry of Oxford, and Chancellor of the diocese (having held the same office for Chichester and Salisbury), was a very distinguished lawyer and High Churchman. He was later made a knight, a Privy Counsellor and a baronet. One of his books on ecclesiastical law ran to almost 2500 pages. It’s difficult not to feel that Asthall Leigh did quite well to have the services of so grand a figure.
In 1859 Elizabeth Haines died, in her seventies, and at the 1861 census her daughter Mary was sharing the cottage on the Hall site, which was now hers, with her young half-sister Leah Haines. Both were unmarried and are described as gloveresses. Mary died in 1891, aged 80, but in 1870 she had conveyed ownership of her cottage to Leah. When Leah died in 1904 the property went to a nephew in Abingdon. Ten years later William Mustey, a blacksmith of Fordwells, bought it for £6.
After the First World War, funds were raised by donation to build a village hall as a memorial to the eight men from Asthall parish who had given their lives (see below – the original intent was for an infant school room rather than a village hall). William Mustey sold the site, now derelict, to Robert Mills and others, trustees of the fund, for the handsome sum of £40 in 1922, thereby making what could be called a handsome profit. The Hall that was then built has remained essentially unchanged, except for the small rear extension which was added in 1972 to provide kitchen and lavatories. It has had difficult times, but since 1986 it has been a Charitable Trust, run entirely by volunteers and none the worse for its chequered history.
Tim Hine, The Chronicle: 1973
A new chapter in the history of the Hall opened when structural improvements began mid-November 1972, more than 50 years after it was first built. Mrs Mills of Rose Cottage remembers that the people of Astalleigh [sic], Field Assarts and Fordwells, when considering what to put up for a First World War memorial, decided that instead of contributing to a marble slab in Asthall church they would like to build a little schoolroom for infants, so that they should not have to walk to Asthall in all weathers for their schooling.
There was an empty cottage and a garden opposite Pinnocks Farm, and this site was acquired for the Memorial. Mr Neville of Fordwells collected the subscriptions – 21s. From everyone except widows, a lot of money in those days – and Mr Hooper of Leafield did the building, using some of the materials from the derelict cottage. That was about 1921. But the Education Authority would not cooperate and the school never started.
Visitors to Astahlleigh up to a few years ago often remarked on the neglected appearance of the Hall and wondered why it was being allowed to deteriorate. The answer was that the original Trustees had died or departed without nominating their successors, and the management committee had not enough funds to put the place to rights. Without sanitation or heating, and only primitive kitchen facilities, it could not be used to bring in rent. So matters were at a deadlock until on April 22nd 1971 an open meeting was called to discuss the problem. Rather to everyone’s surprise there was general agreement that the Hall must be rehabilitated and the money raised for the purpose. A new representative management committee was formed there and then with Dr Allison as Chairman, and volunteers set to work to repair the roof, scrub the interior, provide a new door, new windows and curtains and a notice board. Mr Stringer organised a weekly draw to encourage regular subscribers, and rummage sales and other activities began to bring in funds.
The success of the Gymkhana last September made it possible to start on the annex to the kitchen and cloakrooms. A lot more needs doing, but the Hall has been saved from decay and should one day be a real asset to the Parish.
The Chronicle: 1974
In a letter to the Editor of the Chronicle in Mrs Mills of Rose Cottage confirms that it is at the time of this refurbishment activity that the Roll of Honour for those men who gave their lives in World Word Two was commissioned. This Memorial Tablet was dedicated during a short service on 17 November 1974.
Tim Hine, The Chronicle: 1974
An open meeting was held to discuss the results of the Questionnaire and to consider how to start some regular community activities, in the hope that the Hall may soon become a useful Village Centre. At Christmas there will be a social evening for all over eleven on December 28, a party for the under-elevens on December 30 and a Pensioners’ Evening early in 1975. Mrs Kenny is to see if a Play Group for small children can be organised (which would be fitting, because it was originally hoped in the 1920s that the Hall would be built as an infants’ school). Mrs Buckingham and other have already arranged a course of Old Time Dancing classes, under Mr Albert Crawford of Tackley. The next session is on Tuesday 8 October at 8pm (Cost, 15p).
John Bean, The Chronicle: 2004
A few years ago the Asthall Leigh Memorial Hall ran into difficulties. The roof of the rear part containing the kitchen, toilets and power supplies collapsed, and this rendered the Hall unusable. Unfortunately there were insufficient funds to effect a repair (or any other work).
Generous donations were made to enable the Hall to be repaired but this could not be seen as a long-term solution. The Trustees of the Hall (a registered charity) decided to emulate the idea that was working in Taynton in support of their village hall – and the Asthally Arms was born.
The Trustees (John Bowen, Ken Betteridge, Helen Lauder, Rachel and Nick Jones, Paul Sumpster, and Shirley and Jeremy Holland) got together to set up the Hall as a local ‘social’ pub once a month with the object of raising funds for its future maintenance and upkeep. Although the Asthally Arms only exists to support the Asthall Leigh Memorial Hall, a secondary function was the hope that it would be the focus for the people of the parish to meet together socially each month.
The idea has succeeded on both counts. The Hall is now in a good state of repair, redecorated with new doors and other improvements. The fund is growing but not yet sufficient to support major repairs or renovation.
Socially there have been quite a number of successful events over the past few years. Some have been fairly large such as the Jubilee celebrations and fetes that you may have heard of, attended or been involved in. Also on many occasions the monthly evening has encompassed some interesting activity, whether a variety of food, Halloween, Bonfire Night, quiz nights or just a very friendly social get-together. The whole operation is done by people of the villages as well as the Trustees volunteering their time and effort for free, handling the organisation, cooking, cleaning, running about and on the evening looking after the bar. Any special events are usually looked after by a team of volunteers and smaller events possibly by one or two individuals.
An awful lot of people have had a lot of fun, possibly unaware that the whole object of the fun is to keep the Asthall Leigh Memorial Hall in good repair for the use of anyone for any occasion at any time, particular for local organisations and private functions against a small fee. With this it is hoped that the Hall will remain in good condition and in use for future generations, and that it will always be recognised why it was built and, as a memorial, what it stands for.