Clarence Hall, Crickhowell

PWMP logobutton_lang_welshClarence Hall, Crickhowell

This hall, which remains a focal point for community events, was opened in 1892. The foundation stone was laid by Queen Victoria’s grandson, Prince Albert, Duke of Clarence and Avondale.

The hall cost for £2,500 to build, with money raised through the sale of £1 shares. It was intended as a public meeting place and a drill hall for local army volunteers, who stored their weapons in the caretakers’ house next door.

Within a month of the outbreak of the First World War, district medical officer Dr Philip Hill drew up a scheme – never implemented – to convert the hall to a hospital, if that was necessary during the conflict. His son Philip died in action in France in April 1917, aged 43.

In November 1914, MPs Sidney Robinson and William Brace addressed a “recruiting meeting” at Clarence Hall. They urged local people to join the armed forces or persuade relatives and friends to do so. Mr Robinson said farming communities in some districts had not shown enough enthusiasm for enlisting, perhaps because they did not meet in the same way as people who lived in towns.

Well-attended events were held in the hall during the war to raise funds for troops or the Red Cross. The Abergavenny Chronicle described a dance at the hall in 1918, to raise money for prisoners of war, as “uncomfortably crowded”! After the war, there were fundraising events here for the Welcome Home Fund for Soldiers and Sailors.

Today the hall is managed by a trust. Its auditorium seats up to 285 people. The venue hosts entertainments, conferences, wedding receptions and other activities.

Postcode: NP8 1BN    View Location Map

With thanks to Tim Jones

Clarence Hall website – including What’s On guide

 

To continue the Crickhowell in WW1 tour, walk southwards along the main road to the post office
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