Dittisham Village Hall is now back and fully open for business.

The extensively refurbished hall was officially opened last month, after a two-year programme of works to improve its facilities for the wider village. The roof has been renovated to make it waterproof; heating and insulation improved; new toilet and shower installed; and the views to the river enhanced.

A spokesperson for the hall said: “The core objectives were thanks to the enthusiasm and commitment to raising funds by past chairman of the hall, Sally Johnston, current chairman Gil Hayward, and project development lead, Tom Leeman.

“Invitations to the opening were delivered to the local community and it was very well attended. Representatives of the clubs and organisations who regularly use the hall provided stands, including Short Mat Bowlers; Move with Grace Pilates Classes; Ballet Classes for all ages; Medau; Belly Dancing; and a newly formed Bridge Club.”

The two independent rooms - The River Room and The School Room – now have flexible accommodation for large and small groups.

The spokesperson said that historically, Dittisham Village Hall was originally the home of the village school. There’s a record of ‘Dame Schools’ in Dittisham as early as 1818. In 1843 the church bought the site for a school building, designed to accommodate 160 pupils. It had two rooms used as classrooms, one with an open fireplace and one with a pot-bellied stove. There were outside lavatories and school dinners arrived in a hot box from Dartmouth.

In 1892 the average attendance was 100. The numbers declined from the end of the 19th century to 60 in 1919, when it steadied and increased during the Second World War by evacuees from Barnes in Surrey.

In 1948 the seniors were transferred to Dartmouth School. Numbers fell during the 1960’s to just 20 in 1968. The school closed that year and the children were transferred to Dartmouth and Blackawton schools.

The spokesperson added: “The then rector and churchwarden took the initiative on behalf of the Parochial Church Council in purchasing the building from the Diocesan Authorities for use as a Church Hall, and so saved the building from being put on the commercial market and probably being lost to village use.

“At the time of the 150th anniversary of the building in 1993 still more needed to be done, including renewal of the floor of the main hall and insulation of its roof. The school had served the community well in the past and the management committee was confident the village hall would continue to serve the community in the years to come.”

At an anniversary celebration in 1993, a tapestry, designed and worked by Miss M Gill and assisted by the ladies of the parish, was unveiled. This tapestry, recording the first 150 years of the building is on the wall in The School Room.