Westgate Hall is a hundred-year-old drill hall and community space in a Conservation area of

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, notable for hosting community events. The Hall was threatened with closure or demolition in 2009, but a group of local people fought to save it and created the venue it is today. The building is now leased by Curzon Cinemas. Westgate Hall now hosts a range of events from parties to conferences, markets and fairs including the Westgate Hall Market.

History

Building

In 1874 on the site of the present hall there was Welby Square and a large, laid-out garden stretching back to St Peter's Lane where the gardener's cottage remains today. It was called Masters' Exotic Nursery: an exotic garden with two springs giving chalybeate and

mineral water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. Mineral water may usually be still or sparkling (carbonated/effervescent) according to the presence or absence of added gases. T ...

and a very tall

Lombardy poplar ''Populus nigra'', the black poplar, is a species of cottonwood poplar, the type species of section ''Aigeiros'' of the genus ''Populus'', native to Europe, southwest and central Asia, and northwest Africa.Flora Europaea''Populus nigra''/ref> ...

in girth at base. It can be seen on the 1874 map below. The nursery, which stretched northward from Welby Square, belonged to the Masters family and occupied of land. The gardens were dismantled and sold in 1896, and the last owner of the nursery was George Mount. The square was replaced by Westgate Lane; West Gate Hall and a car park are now on the site of the garden. 1899 maps do not yet show the hall in Welby Square, but a panorama photo taken in 1900 does show it, so the hall was probably built between 1899 and 1900. It is not known for what purpose it was built, but St Peter's Mission Hall is mentioned as being in Welby square in the early days of the hall. It was used as a

drill hall A drill hall is a place such as a building or a hangar where soldiers practise and perform military drills. Description In the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, the term was used for the whole headquarters building of a military reserve unit, ...

for the Territorials during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, and survived the 1944 bombing of Canterbury in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. It appears in a cityscape photograph taken in 1900. The hall was originally built expensively with a fancy tiled roof and large windows at each end, with a stained-glass panel in the top window at the Westgate Hall Lane end.Photo: Barrett collection The Victorian building next door was later knocked through between the wars and the foyer given

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

fittings. This building is now in a Conservation area, and a project exists to record all drill halls before they are lost to redevelopment.

Usage of hall

Military use

The hall was probably the local Rifle Volunteers' meeting place before its winding-up and amalgamation into the

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry ...

in 1908. The hall was the base for B and C Companies, 4th Battalion,

the Buffs The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army traditionally raised in the English county of Kent and garrisoned at Canterbury. It had a history dating back to 1572 and ...

from its inception as a

Territorial A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...

battalion in 1908, and they were still there in 1913.Information from the

University of Kent , motto_lang = , mottoeng = Literal translation: 'Whom to serve is to reign'(Book of Common Prayer translation: 'whose service is perfect freedom')Graham Martin, ''From Vision to Reality: the Making of the University of Kent at Canterbury'' ...

It was also the headquarters of the Royal East Kent (The Duke of Connaught's Own) Yeomanry in 1908. An old photo shows army recruits marching outside the hall in 1915, when it was described as a drill hall. In 1920 the drill hall became the headquarters for the 4th Battalion of the Buffs and by 1921 the Royal East Kent Yeomanry had evolved to become 385 (Duke of Connaught's Own Yeomanry) Battery,

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

. Residents would see battalions marching through the building from one end to the other. The hall was used as a hospital during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. A photograph exists of General Bernard Montgomery visiting the hall in 1943, after which the Buffs moved to

Leros Leros ( el, Λέρος) is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese in the southern Aegean Sea. It lies (171 nautical miles) from Athens's port of Piraeus, from which it can be reached by an 9-hour ferry ride or by a 45-minute flig ...

. It was still referred to as the drill hall between the Second World War and the 1970s.Series of files held at Canterbury Cathedral archives on the Markets & Parks Committee from circa 1950-1975 ref. CCA-CC-A/SC/1290/1-5: the hall is mentioned in these The hall was taken over by the Council in the early 1970s.Information from Canterbury Cathedral archives

Community use

It may have been called St Peter's Mission Hall as early as 1903, as there was a hall of that name in Welby Square, but no drill hall is mentioned in trade directories. It was one of the

conference hall A conference hall, conference room, or meeting room is a room provided for singular events such as business conferences and meetings. Room It is commonly found at large hotels and convention centers though many other establishments, including even ...

s used by the

Mothers’ Union The Mothers' Union is an international Christian charity that seeks to support families worldwide. Its members are not all mothers or even all women, as there are many parents, men, widows, singles and grandparents involved in its work. Its main ai ...

in 1927. Probably during its early years until 1914, and since the early 1970s, it has been a

community centre Community centres, community centers, or community halls are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole co ...

. Along with the Beehive, the hall was the background to the beginning of the current Canterbury music scene. The first regular music group to play here was the Wilde Flowers. It is now a

dance hall Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for dancing. From the earliest years of the twentieth century until the early 1960s, the dance hall was the popular forerunner of the discothèque or nightclub. The majority of towns and cities in ...

with

sprung floor A sprung floor is a floor that absorbs shocks, giving it a softer feel. Such floors are considered the best kind for dance and indoor sports and physical education, and can enhance performance and greatly reduce injuries. Modern sprung floors are ...

used by the people of

and by students from the

and Canterbury Christ Church University. It has a bar open eleven hours a week, is used for events and fairs, for

ballroom dancing Ballroom dance is a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world, mostly because of its performance and entertainment aspects. Ballroom dancing is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television. ...

and as a conference venue, and accommodates hundreds of people. Local clubs and societies use the hall. The

uses the hall for the collection of robes on graduation days. This is also a venue for serious events such as Holocaust Memorial Day. The Council itself uses the Westgate Hall to count votes, and sports events such as

2007 Tour de France The 2007 Tour de France the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 to 29 July. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain. It was ...

finish stages at the hall.

Blood donor A blood donation occurs when a person voluntarily has blood drawn and used for transfusions and/or made into biopharmaceutical medications by a process called fractionation (separation of whole blood components). Donation may be of whole bloo ...

sessions are held here, besides Weight Watchers, gigs and wedding receptions. National Childbirth Trust hold their nearly-new sales in the hall twice a year.

Reminiscences of the hall

"Canterbury was lucky then in that it had a number of halls suitable for public dances . . . I used to go to several dances: in the Drill Hall in St. Peter’s Lane, and the Oddfellows Hall in Orange Street; the Forresters' Hall in High Street. Entrance fee was about a shilling, I think. The Drill Hall used to be non-stop. We had a band at each end and it was from 8 to 1 am in the morning. One and sixpence. Strict tempo, waltz, valeta, quick-step. If you went on the floor and you weren’t complying with the music the M.C. would ask you to leave the floor. There was a place for refreshments and a bar upstairs. You could take a girl to a dance, buy refreshments, buy a packet of cigarettes and a tube of Parma Violet Cashews and have change the next morning out of ten shillings." Howard, born 1903.

Threat of closure

The hall was under threat of closure or demolition as of 2009, pending a decision by Canterbury City Council on that day. This caused widespread controversy and a pressure group was formed to ensure survival of the hall. In the event the Council voted in favour of this proposal, however the Westgate Community Trust worked with the local community to save the hall. The Westgate Community Trust reported that the Council confirmed that the hall would remain open until June 2011. In July 2011, the Council prepared to discuss plans by the Westgate Community Trust and the Corinthian Curzon cinema company to lease the hall for the benefit of the community. In the event, on 27 July, the Council approved use by Curzon Cinema and voted to grant a 100-year lease to the Trust, subject to conditions.

Reopening

In February 2014, City of Canterbury council,

Curzon Cinemas Curzon Cinemas () are a chain of cinemas based in the United Kingdom, mostly in London, specialising in art house films. They also have a video on demand service, Curzon Home Cinema. History Curzon Cinemas were established in 1934 when Harold ...

and the Westgate Community Trust signed a 99-year lease transferring the Hall to the Trust, and the building was scheduled to re-open in November 2014. The

Department for Communities and Local Government The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), formerly the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for housing, communities, local governme ...

community assets fund awarded a grant of £344,497 to the Trust. As of January 2014 the building was closed for renovation as a cinema with a hall for community use. The hall is now open for local events, including parties, conferences, markets and fairs including the Westgate Hall Market.

Gallery

Image:Westgate Hall 001.jpg, Westgate Hall, 2010 Image:City of Canterbury budget 2010−2011 064.jpg, Users of Westgate Hall gather to object to the Council closure of the hall, 2010.

Cllr A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries. Canada Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...

Alex Perkins (left); Cllr James Flanagan (centre, holding papers) Image:Westgate Hall 004.jpg, Westgate Hall front entrance Image:Westgate Hall 005.jpg,

entrance hall, in 2010 Image:Westgate Hall 009.jpg, Antiques fair in the dance hall, 2010 Image:Westgate Hall 010.jpg, Ladies' powder room on first floor, showing original window frames, 2010 Image:Westgate Hall 001a.jpg, Fancy tiles, edging and ventilator on roof of hall Image:Westgate Hall 001b.jpg, This was once a light and pleasant building with large windows all round Image:Westgate Hall 001c.jpg, There were once large, fancy windows at both ends of the hall Image:OS map of Canterbury 1874.jpg, 1874

map A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes. Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Although ...

of Westgate showing Welby Square and gardens before Westgate Hall was built

References

Bibliography

* Anon, ''Images of Canterbury'' (Kent Messenger Group, 1997) p. 175a (photo of

Field Marshal Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and ...

visiting hall in 1948) * Butler, D., ''Canterbury: A Second Selection in Old Photographs'' (Sutton, 1993) p. 154. (photo of army recruits outside hall, 1915) * Butler, D., ''A Century of Canterbury'' (2002), p. 12 (cityscape photograph showing hall, 1900)

Further research

Archives An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or ...

at the Centre for Kentish Studies at

Maidstone Maidstone is the largest town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, linking it wi ...

* British Library Newspaper library at

Colindale Colindale is a district in the London Borough of Barnet; its main shopping street on the A5 forming the borough boundary with neighbouring Brent. Colindale is a suburban area, and in recent years has had many new apartments built. It's also th ...

*Archives entitled "City Boxes in Basement 1787-1958" under listing of "Buildings correspondence, City Council 'Property" at Canterbury Cathedral archives *Files under "General Purpose Committee 1881–1912" CCA-CC-BB/131F at Canterbury Cathedral archives *Series of files held at Canterbury Cathedral archives on the "Markets & Parks Committee from circa 1950-1975" ref. CCA-CC-A/SC/1290/1-5

External links

Westgate Community Trust (Canterbury)Westgate HallCanterbury City Council webpage for Westgate HallThe Westgate Community Trust (Canterbury): Community Force pageCanterbury City Council Overview and Scrutiny committee: Entertainment economy scrutiny review, draft final report, September 2009
(unavailable)

* ttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=181466832361 Facebook: Save the Westgate Hallbr>Social Centre Network UK
{{Authority control Community centres in England Entertainment venues in England Dance venues in England Buildings and structures in Canterbury Drill halls in England