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The Old Reading Room, Dickleburgh
The Old Reading Room dates back to the late 1800’s when the Rev. Brandreth identified the need of a “Reading Room” in the village and in 1879 issued a notice to the inhabitants of Dickleburgh. Including the following extract:
“The principal event of the past month in Dickleburgh has been the re-opening of our Reading Room and Coffee House. I think it of great importance that there should be a room where a respectable man can sit and read or talk without being expected to drink to his own hurt for the good of the house.”
A statement that emphasized the Reverend’s concerns about the evil of drink!
The Reverend acted on his beliefs and accordingly erected such a facility and it is believed that the building started life in the grounds of a property in Rectory Road just along from “The Gables”, being moved to its present location on Church land when the Reverend left the village circa 1900.
Over the years the building became one of the hubs of the community providing facilities for a number of uses. Prior to the Second World War it had a thriving Snooker Club with a full size table and the special concrete supports to take its weight are still visible in the floor. It is understood that Membership of the Club was 2 shillings and sixpence per annum and they employed a caretaker, who during the winter lit the fire every evening at 6.00 p.m. so it would be warm for their use. He was paid two shillings and sixpence a week for this service! During the Second World War, the Snooker Table mysteriously disappeared and no one seems to know how it was spirited away – and who by!
After the war it remained an important feature of Village life supporting a table tennis club who played in a local league plus an area for playing chess. It was used for wedding receptions, private parties, moving picture shows and many other uses, accommodating Cubs & Brownies, and a Youth Club.
It’s decline into lack of use, disrepair and subsequently vandalism, in which windows and doors were smashed or ripped out occurred in the 1980’s, almost coinciding with the creation of the new Village Centre.
After it’s formation in late 1999 the Dickleburgh Village Society, at it’s very first meeting, decided that something should be done to preserve and utilize the ancient building, and after some research and assessment, work started in 2001.
The building and site was cleared, new windows and doors fitted and made secure. It was cleaned up and painted inside and out, with a great deal of work required to clean up the corrugated iron exterior and coat with green paint.
The interior needed repair, renovation, painting and a complete overhaul of water and electrical services, and the Rooms now boast efficient electric heating, a small well fitted kitchen and a separate Washroom with newly fitted Toilet and Hand basin.
With materials being donated or funded by money raising events, members of the Village Society and other volunteers carried out majority of the actual work.
The Old Reading Room now houses archives of the village with copies (or originals) of old photographs and documents illustrating its history and past way of life. This entire treasury of information having been laminated for preservation and scanned onto CD’s for the benefit of future generations. The Village Society also uses the Reading Room for meetings, light entertainment and fund raising events.
This photograph taken in August 2005 shows the redecorated Old Reading Room complete with sign and notice board.
Compiled by Brian Baker on behalf of the Dickleburgh Village Society and verified by Village Society Chairman John Taylor.
Photos kindly provided from the Archives of the Dickleburgh Village Society.
His son Sam Smith, who was a man who utilised all of his resources, owning a dozen Jersey cows whose milk was made into butter and cream, and bread, was baked from his own wheat. Sam became a successful businessman, travelling to the markets and running the mill, while the mill house, under the supervision of his step-sister, Anna, as house-keeper, continued to be his home.
The mill house and its gardens occupied about three-quarters of an acre. Two fountains stood in front of the house, and higher up the garden was an ornamental pond, which was fed by warm water from the mill. The garden was tiered; on the left-hand side were the greenhouses, which contained exotic plants, and another gate led to the tennis court.
Mr. Arthur Dent, as Chairman of the limited company, and his wife took up residence in the mill house in 1920.
The Village Society