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Blackford Reading Room
 | A Reading Room had been instituted in 1899, but it was the Revd F. C. Haines, who was Rector of Blackford in 1912 when Miss Emily Senior sold land to the Fidelity Trust Ltd. for £25, who oversaw the opening of the building we now use. It was intended to be a ‘parish room’ and has served the village in that capacity for more than 90 years!
One of the projects with which the village wished to mark the Millennium was the refurbishment of this building, bringing it up to the standard expected and required of a public building in the 21st Century. The only major improvements since it was built were the installation of mains water in the mid 1930s and electric light and heating at the end of that decade.
It says much for the quality of the building that no further work of any significance was needed until the 1990s. In 1994 the windows were replaced with American oak frames at a cost of £4230, of which the parish share was £2120. An historic Buildings Grant was made through the South Somerset District Council for the remaining sum and the work was carried out by Glasswood, Historic Church Window Restorers from Crewkerne. A Lottery Grant of £4939 was received in 1998 to restore the roof and Mr Richard Chant was contracted for the job.
Now the job is complete with a newly installed flush toilet, bring the building into line with the requirements for disabled access and improved kitchen facilities, heating, lighting, blackout curtains etc. A tall order for such a small community and although several thousands of pounds were raised by the residents - always a good excuse for a get together! - our plans were too costly to be borne by the villagers alone, however generous they might be. But, once again, grants were available to help cover the costs and £20,000 has been supplied by the Lottery Commission and £5,000 by the Wyvern Trust.
The Reading Room (village hall to all intents) is available for hire and has superb facilities for any type of function - and can seat up to 50 (at a squeeze) for a meal. It is used by surrounding villages as well as Blackford and boasts a number of active clubs and societies.
The Blackford book was produced as one of the village 'Millenium' projects with the support of grants from the Lotteries 'Awards for All' and South Somerset District Council.
All proceeds from the sale of books (after p+p) go to the Reading Room.
If you want other information use the mail form on this site and we will come back to you |
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Reopening of Reading Room
| Reopening by David Heath M.P. 27th October 2001 |  |
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Reading Room Floor Plan
| Floor Plan |  |
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Used for Christening Party!
| Intimate & friendly ... for a Christening Party. Tables can be set out in a number of styles for formal or informal arrangement. |  |
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Facilities & cost of hire
Blackford Reading Room is available for a wide range of activities and is regularly used by local organisations and individuals.
The entrance to the Reading Room affords wheelchair access, a bell is provided at the foot of the ramp should extra assistance be required to overcome the single step and incline.
A large toilet, suitable for disabled use, is off the lobby.
The Reading Room has recently been refurbished to provide a suitable setting for club/group meetings as well as smaller, more intimate gatherings.
Lighting can be easily altered in intensity - dimmed wall lights for a ‘homely’ feel suitable for a small private dinner or celebration; brighter lighting for public or club meetings.
There are numerous wall sockets plus two floor sockets and blackout curtains for daytime slide shows.
Thermostatic convector heaters (with no noisy fans!) are located in the hall and toilet.
A pin-board and whiteboard are available for presentations and talks.
A fully equipped modern kitchen complete with 2 hobs, 2 ovens (1 double, 1 single), microwave, dishwasher, fridge, crockery and kitchen utensils to allow for any occasion.
The Reading Room’s capacity has been fixed by the licensing authorities and must not exceed 50. For comfort we recommend 40 when tables are used. There are tables, chairs and equipment to seat this number but please note that for a function requiring a Premises License the booking needs to be made well in advance to allow application by you to the local authority.
Parking is available in the vicinity of the church. Users are asked to respect the local residents by keeping noise to reasonable levels.
The costs of hiring the Reading Room are:
Half day hire £15
Full day hire £30
(Residents of Blackford and Compton Pauncefoot civil parish half price)
Special rates for frequent and regular bookings. |
Where is it?
Our Ordinance Survey Map Grid reference in the centre of the village is ST 657 261
Link for Multimap information:
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