The Hall was built in 1866 as a Dissenters‘ meeting house and school, it later became a Reading Room and Lecture Hall and subsequently a Drill Hall for the Percy Volunteer Artillery. Bought by public subscription in 1920 as a war memorial hall, it serves as a village hall for the people of Warkworth and surrounding areas. There's a reference to the Hall as a Baptist Church (1866 to 1888) in The Baptists of North Northumberland. See also North East War Memorials Project.
Warkworth War Memorial Hall was one of thirty halls selected to take part in a Northumberland-wide project to record the history of the county’s village halls. During 2023/2024 the Hall’s history was researched by Belinda Booth in association with Northumberland Archives, Community Action Northumberland, Warkworth History Society, and local residents. Thanks are due to Belinda and to everyone who has contributed stories and photographs to the project, and to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for their support.
Below is a timeline of key events in the Hall’s history. For further details refer to the stored word documents.
1866: Foundation stone laid for a ‘New Church’ set up by Dissenters from the local Presbyterian Church.
1879: The church applies to become part of the Northern Baptist Association and becomes Warkworth Baptist Chapel; but by 1886 the chapel has failed to thrive.
1889: The building is sold to local resident and Magistrate Thomas Clutterbuck for £200. Clutterbuck sets up the Warkworth Reading Room and puts the Hall in trust for purely public purposes, including concerts and public meetings. He also leased a drill shed at the Hall as a base for the Warkworth detachment of the 2nd Northumberland Percy Artillery volunteers.
1900:Thomas Clutterbuck died and bequeathed the Hall to his nephew
1904: The Warkworth Civilian Rifle Club is set up at the Hall, including a secure munitions store
1905: The Parish Council moved their meetings from the National School to the Public Hall
1906: Thomas Clutterbuck’s nephew, Charles Barlow, offers to sell the Hall to the village.
1907: The Hall is bought by the village from funds raised through subscriptions, a bazaar, and other fundraising events.
1918: The Warkworth War Memorial and Heroes Fund was set up to raise charitable funds for a permanent war memorial in the village. A presentation ceremony for returning heroes is held in the Hall in August
1919: The Hall hosted a Welcome Home celebration and banquet for those who had served in WWI.
1920: At a public meeting in March, it was decided to set up a village institute. The Hall’s trustees bought the two houses adjoining the public hall to form a village club.
1920: Mr Farquhar Deuchar of Shortridge Hall offers to aid with the Mortgage on the Hall.
1921: Warkworth War Memorial Institute, as the Hall was now called, had its official opening on 21st January. It hosted the Reading room, now called the Free Library
1922: Warkworth Women’s Institute set up and meets in the Hall.
1923: : brass plaque was unveiled in honour of John Kane a local man who lost his life trying to save a boy in 1922 who got into difficulty off Carr Rocks.
1924: Charity Declaration of Trust established 26th November.
1926: Charity Commission Scheme established 9th April.
1927: Bazaar held in the grounds of Warkworth Castle raised £271.16s.3d for the Hall extensions and improvements
1928: The Royal British Legion, Warkworth branch accepted a permanent base in the Hall.
1931: A Bazaar and Pageant was held in the grounds of Warkworth Castle to raise funds to pay off the debt on the Hall.
1939: September the Hall is used as a reception centre for women and children evacuated from Wallsend at the start of World War Two.
December, the Military requisition the Hall.
1945: Celebration dances held for VE and VJ Day in the Hall.
1949: Hall premises used as a child welfare centre and Educational Cinesound services used the Hall once a week for cinema shows.
1955: A Free Gift sale is held and raises sufficient funds to pay off the mortgage on the Hall. This now allows the Hall Trustees to apply for grants towards the upkeep of the Hall.
1966: The Warkworth Flower show is held in the Hall, due to foot and mouth disease.
1970: The Charity Commission establish new scheme on 22nd July
1972: 39 Castle Street was sold minus the existing kitchen and outhouses which are still as part of the Hall.
1973: 41 Castle Street is sold.
1974: Warkworth Drama Group set up.
1975: Warkworth Art Group set up.
1994: Mark Patterson leaves a legacy of £10,000 to the Hall.
1997: Proposals to raise funds to refurbish the Hall and expand the facilities on offer at the Hall. Villagers support the proposal.
1999: Harry Green Chairman of the Trustees for 28 years died and left a legacy of £1000 to the Hall
1999: Warkworth Village Trust formed to prepare plans for the village’s future which included proposal for a new community centre
2000: Villagers express concern that the Hall was to be sold to fund the new community centre.
2003: Warkworth Village Trust publish ‘Tomorrow’s Warkworth’ the results of their study showing that a clear consensus had been obtained to upgrade the Memorial Hall and for use as a 21st Century facility by the whole community.
2005: The Charity Commissioners for England and Wales ordered that the charity previously known as Warkworth War Memorial Institute now be known as Warkworth War Memorial Hall. This new scheme amends the governing document implemented on 4th May. The original Trustees resign en bloc in accordance with the new scheme.
2006: The caretaker’s cottage of Ember path is sold, there was no requirement for a live in caretaker since 2004.
2014: Royal British Legion hold WW1 Centenary Commemorative Exhibition in the Hall.
2016: Royal British Legion held Exhibition to mark Battle of the Somme 1916 in the Hall.
2020: The Hall is closed for most of the year due to the COVID pandemic.
2021: Royal British Legion celebrate their centenary and later that year the branch closes.
2022: Warkworth Women’s Institute celebrate their centenary.
The Hall has broadband installed
2024: The Hall continues to be available to the community and continues to host events some similar to those in the past such as public meetings, committee meetings, Parish Council meetings, History Society, WI, Concerts, fundraising events, celebrations and parties and newer ones such as Art exhibitions, film club, Celidh’s, exercise and yoga classes.