Neighhbours' Hall History

The Hall's existence is entirely down to a Revd A. P. Pott.  He was never a Vicar at the nearby St Mary's Church but a resident the Manor (the building which is now Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons after it was sold to Raymond Blanc in 1984). Revd Pott gifted the land  and funded the building for the local community. The stone plaque near to the original entrance states: "Neighbours' Hall. The gift of Revd & Mrs Percivall Pott 1924. " The Committee membership was intended to be entirely representative of the local community with persons from the District Nursing Association, Women's Club, Football Club, Cricket Club and Man's Institute, for example. Revd Pott chaired meetings which were  initially held in The Manor. A librarian (for a free library) was one of the earliest appointments. Following Revd Pott's death in 1943 it was agreed that the ownership of the Hall should be transferred to the Oxford Diocesan Board of Finance "to hold the Hall on trust as a place of recreation and social intercourse and other purposes for the benefit of Great Milton and the surrounding district." Further, "the Deed provides that the management and control of the Hall shall be vested in the Great Milton Parochial Church Council.".

The building has been enhanced on a number of occasions, most notably a new entrance, kitchen and toilet block in 1999 and new heating plus a general refurbishment in 2007. Both of the recent significant projects were funded from the Hall Committee's reserves and extensive grant funding from a wide range of sources.