The Memorial Hall was built in 1962 on the site of the village ‘Hut’, destroyed by the Fauld explosion in 1944: the hall commemorates the 78 people, many from the village, who perished in the explosion. With help from the National Lottery, the hall was extended in 2001 with the addition of a new kitchen, bar, foyer and toilets. The hall is run as a charity, with Trustees and a Committee of local members.
Fauld Explosion
Local industry was centred on the nearby Fauld Alabaster and Gypsum mine. During the Second World War, disused mine tunnels were used by the Royal Air Force as a storage depot for bombs and munitions en route to Bomber Command airfields. On 27th November 1944, an underground bomb store exploded and 3,500 tons of high explosives ignited, devastating the local countryside for miles around. This was the largest explosion of the Second World War after the hydrogen bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 78 people lost their lives and a huge crater remains, some 250ft deep and 400 yards across. More information can be found on the following link to the RAF Fauld explosion Wikipedia page.