History of Woodlands Park Hall

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This post is about the history of Woodlands Park Hall, to see current activites at the hall click here.

Woodlands Park Hall was part of the original plan for the Bournville Tenants estate in 1906, and has been used for a variety of activities over the century-and-a-bit since it was built. It was opened in November 1909 by George Cadbury.* In March 1966 Bournville Village Trust took over ownership of the Hall, although the Tenants Committee maintained management.

The School
In the early years of the estate the Hall was used as a school for younger children, and was run by two sisters, Miss. Pane and Mrs. Blanchard, who lived at 34 Kingsley Road and 18 Kingsley Road respectively. The school opened in about 1910, and on the 1911 census Miss. Pane was recorded as a 'School Mistress' suggesting that she was already running Woodlands Park School at this time. It continued until the 1960s, although after Miss. Pane and Mrs. Blanchard, Mrs. Rose was school mistress. Mrs. Rose was still running the school in 1966, when BVT took over ownership of the building, and planned to continue, but it is uncertain how much longer the school continued.

Children who attended, now grown, remember practising during World War II in case there was an air raid while they were at school. They would all traipse across the other side of Woodlands Park Road where there was a shelter large enough for them all.

A rather dubious claim to fame is that a former student was probably Jack Enoch Powell. There is no official evidence, but his attendance is considered to be the case by older local residents, especially as he grew up with his family at 52 Woodlands Park Road, a few doors down.


Children's Parties
Woodlands Park Hall has been the site of hundreds, if not thousands, of private children's parties. On 2nd June 1953, though, it was used for the children's tea-party celebrating the Coronation of Elizabeth II, below (more photos of the Coronation party here).

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Former Caretakers
1940s-1965: Tom Lowrie (lived at 214 Northfield Road)


Notes
* From the Bournville Works Magazine