A BRIEF HISTORY

Penshurst Village Hall (or the Arnold Hills Hall) was built in the late 1800’s and was originally known as Penshurst Village Club. The reason why it is also referred to as the Arnold Hills Hall is because a gentleman called Arnold Hills provided the funds to build the Hall. Mr Hills was a great philanthropist and has a fascinating history. For instance, in the late 1800’s Mr. Hill founded the Thames Iron Works F.C. which in 1900 became West Ham United F.C. In fact, if you go to the West Ham/London Stadium website you will see there is a private events space overlooking the pitch called ‘The Arnold Hills’!

Once built, the intention was that the club could pay its own way, which it still does to this day. It would appear that income was partly derived from the subscriptions of the club members which were 5s. (5 shillings) annually for adults and 2s. 6d. (2 shillings and 6 pennies) annually for young members. Women were allowed to be members but with the proviso that they could not be in the club after 6pm. Income was also derived from the use of two bathrooms to club members, which were situated where the gents toilets are now, and also from hiring the billiards table. Further income came from the hire of the hall for dances, concerts and such like. The club provided meals and refreshments to its members and also to visitors coming to the village, again all realising a small yet important profit. 

At that time the Penshurst Village Hall building looked much as it does today with a lobby, the mainhall, the Library (but referred to then as the Reading Room) and a smoking and billiard room upstairs, which is now referred to as the Victoria Room.