History

Swardeston is a picturesque village only 4 miles from Norwich Cathedral on the south side of the city. Its ancient Common was gated, and cattle roamed free on it and grazed. There was a pond from which they drank, and the co-op society built an abattoir. At the same time, a number of families developed nurseries on which vegetables, have fruit and flowers were grown.

Because it was largely agricultural and so needed a lot of workers, Norfolk sent a lot of men to the First World War, and those remaining at home came out of the war wanting to pay tribute to those who had served the community. People living in Swardeston decided that they would do so by building a Village Hall. They set up a fund for the building itself, and asked the local landowner who owned the common if he would give the land to build it on. He agreed, but the Village Hall was not completed until 1929. The gift of the land and the Constitution of the charity established to run it were contained in a document dated 1934.

The hall was very successful, functioning most of all as a dancehall. There was a strong dancefloor, made of cedar. A significant number of successful marriages began there.

Cricket was very popular in the locality, and the village set a side up in 1965. The club thrived and established its ground on the common adjacent to the Village Hall. In the mid 1970’s with the cooperation of the Village Hall and the financial help of a local businessman, it expanded the building to include a fundraising bar and social club and changing rooms.

The club did extremely well and supported the maintenance and staffing of the building very generously. But times changed, and the requirements of public buildings ran ahead of the existing local volunteer arrangements. It eventually became necessary to bring the financial and legal structure of the hall up-to-date and ensure that The charity that ran it was able to meet current demands.

In the meantime, the village has grown and the Trustees have looked for ways for the Village Hall to be used for more events to ensure it remains financially viable. The present trustees of the Village Hall trust have very carefully investigated the local needs and demands of the community and are working with a local architect to develop the building in the way that will work for present and future needs.

The cricket club and the Friends of Swardeston Common keep the High Common attractive for people to enjoy and fit for the sport enjoyed there, and a local volunteer charity, Norwich Fringe, keeps the other parts of the common delightful and usable by members of the public. Thanks to local efforts down the years, we have been bequeathed a good volunteer facility which will go on enhancing our quality of life.