Headcorn Village Hall
Long Meadow Hall and the adjoining house were originally built in 1870 as a school with the headteacher’s accommodation, but were soon repurposed as a community hall (now known as Headcorn Village Hall) following the school’s closure. While the hall remained in occasional use, the attached house had been derelict since 1987, suffering from severe neglect, structural deterioration, and water ingress.
This conservation-led project involved the careful repair and adaptive reuse of the historic buildings, combining sensitive restoration of original features—including Bethersden Marble walls, timber sash windows, and cast iron vents—with the introduction of modern services and interventions to meet contemporary standards. Key elements included the demolition of unsympathetic later additions, full reconstruction of the house’s collapsed roof and floors, structural stabilisation of cracked and bulging masonry, and the construction of a discreet new flat-roof extension in complementary materials. The original timber belfry, long removed, was reinstated using historic photographs and surviving fragments.
The project balances heritage conservation with practical adaptation, securing the long-term future of the buildings while respecting their architectural and historical significance.
