Old Church Hall

In 1893 the land on which the old hall stood was sold as plot 3a of the Llansannor Court Estate. In 1921 part of the plot was made available to local residents by Mrs J L Leigh of Llansannor House.

Mrs Leigh bought a World War I army hut, which had been used as a field hospital in France, and this was delivered by rail to Ystradowen station. It was transported from there by local farmers with horses and wagons. Local parishioners cleared the site with picks and shovels and re-assembled the hut on it.

The transfer of the plot to local parishioners was effected by means of an Indenture made by Mrs Leigh with the Llandaff Diocesan Trust in 1922. The Indenture defined the purposes as:

some one or more of the following ….. for the benefit mainly but not exclusively of members of the Church of England in the Parish of Llansannor or elsewhere as may be provided in accordance with the trusts hereinafter contained with liberty to vary such purposes from time to time that is to say

A As a site for a Parish Room, Class Room, Meeting or Lecture Room Sunday schools or any such purposes in connection with the work of the Church of England

B The letting of the said hereditaments or any part thereof which may not for the time being be consecrated for any meetings entertainments lectures or other purposes of which the Administrative Trustees may approve

C Any other object end or purpose having in view the spiritual intellectual moral social or bodily wants mainly but not exclusively of the members of the Church of England residing in the said Parish of Llansannor or elsewhere as aforesaid.

The hall was initially referred to as the ‘Parish Room’ but from 1930 it became known as the Church Hall. For 85 years the hall served as the venue for a vast range of local community events and celebrations.

Painting of old hall by Alison Gibbon (Tel 01656 890257), reproduced from Llansannor booklet published in 2000.