Strangways Hall

Strangways Hall is the village hall, in the old school on The Square, Market Street, opposite the Ilchester Arms. It was built in 1858 as the parish school, in Abbotsbury and Portesham stone with a slate roof, and the carved texts, "Shew Me Thy Ways O Lord" and "Teach Me Thy Paths", are still on it. It is Grade II listed. The X53 stops outside.

The hall is a charity in its own right, number 290591, not a parish council building, so bookings do not go through the parish clerk. The secretary and booking officer is Heather Stevens, 01305 871629, [email protected]. The chairman is Nigel Telfer, 01305 871013, and the treasurer is Pete Reid, 07876 252203. Those names come from the hall's page on the old village site, dated April 2025. The Charity Commission gives a different phone, 01305 871615, and email, [email protected], so if one does not answer try the other.

There are two halls, each taking up to 65, a kitchen with two cookers, a fridge freezer, a microwave and crockery for 65, toilets, tables and folding chairs, and a playground and green outside. It is licensed for alcohol and music, and insured. The electric is on coin meters that take £2 and £1 coins, so bring change.

Hire rates, last checked April 2025, so confirm them when you book: a session (9 to 1, 1 to 5 or 6 to 10) is £15 for Abbotsbury residents, £20 for anyone else in the Chesil Bank parishes, £30 from outside the area and £40 commercial. The kitchen is £5 on top. Parties for Abbotsbury residents are £5 an hour. Weddings are £250 for Abbotsbury people and £350 for everyone else. The green is £10 a day for commercial use.

Chesil Bank Pre-School uses the hall Monday to Thursday in term time and runs a toddler group there on Friday mornings, so in the week you are mostly looking at evenings. There is no online calendar; ring Heather.

01305 871629, Email Heather Stevens, Hall page on the old village site (rates and forms)

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