Westcott is a picturesque village in the Surrey Hills, known for its historic charm, scenic surroundings, and vibrant community life. It has a population of around 2,500 residents living in approximately 1,000 homes. Westcott dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, originally listed as “Wescote,” and Roman artefacts and Iron Age enclosures indicate a long history of settlement. The village features historic buildings, including pre-1800 listed thatched houses and notable estates like Bury Hill and Milton Court. The Church of the Holy Trinity was designed in 1851 by Sir George Gilbert Scott. The village contains amenities including Surrey Hills Church of England Primary School. a Community Hub and Café, The Prince of Wales pub and local shops and . Local societies and events are coordinated by the Westcott Village Association, fostering community engagement and preserving the village’s rural charm.
Village Hall history
The Reading Room
In the 1870s, three sisters from the Barclay family made an endowment for the construction of the original village hall, known as the Reading Room, together with a caretaker’s cottage.
The Village Hall
In 1967, Westcott Church funded the construction of the current hall, providing the prefabricated building that we have today. It has served the community for over 50 years.
There is an active programme of bookings, showing a strong need for a local community space with sufficient size to host large events. However, our surveys have shown that a combination of a large hall with smaller spaces would work better in serving the diverse needs of the village, and would encourage and facilitate the formation of new clubs and interest groups.
The Hut and bowling green
Until 2017, Westcott had a community centre and social club on Furlong Road, known as The Hut. It ceased trading in 2017, and is now derelict and boarded up. It is situated next to the former village bowling green, which is now also derelict.
Westcott Village Hall Trust forms
Following the closure of The Hut and Bowling Club, a new charity was formed, taking ownership of the village hall, The Hut and the bowling green. The objective of the new Westcott Village Hall Trust CIO was to use its new resources to provide a village hall for Westcott.
A new beginning
In 2022, the trustees of the Village Hall Trust engaged professional advisors to fully consider the redevelopment potential of the Village Hall and the old Hut site on Furlong Road. They prepared a public consultation, where options within the objectives of the Trust would be set out for the village to decide.
In 2023, following a broad public consultation, residents of the village voted for an option to sell the Furlong Road site and to use the proceeds to partially fund the rebuilding of the Village Hall at Institute Road.
In 2024, a planning application was submitted encompassing both the reconstruction of the Village Hall and nine new houses on the Hut land on Furlong Road. In 2026, planning consent was granted.
“Over the past 70 years these four walls have been filled with the sounds of life, of people enjoying themselves, of laughter, music and love.“
Words spoken at the Celebration of Life service held for Brenda Spencer, former resident of Bailey Road, in the Westcott Village Hall in 2026
Westcott Village Hall Trust CIO
Westcott Village Hall Trust is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered with the Charity Commission as Charity no. 1172629
Trustees
Sally Hewetson (Chair) Debbie Lewis Helen Everett Andy Taylor Andy Gray James Brodrick Sheila Hedges John Stubbins
