The Grade II listedStructure of particular architectural and/or historic interest deserving of special protection. Village Hall in Morton-on-Swale, North Yorkshire, is a former Wesleyan Chapel, built in 1815.^[1] It was constructed on land donated by Thomas Watson, owner of the three adjacent cottages, and was used as a place of worship for more than a hundred years.^[2]

The chapel was closed in 1927 owing to low attendance, and sold to the owner of Ainderby Hall. In 1936 it was purchased by four local people, who converted it into a parish hall, with the entrance moved to the side of the building. It was used for a variety of recreational purposes until 1957, when it was leased to North Yorkshire County Council and used for the education of children and adults with additional needs, although it remained in use by the local community in the evenings. The series of renovations carried out from 2011 have included a new roof and replacement windows, the construction of an extension with a kitchen and toilet, the removal of a false ceiling in the main hall and converting the balcony into a loft.^[2]

Architecture

The hall is constructed of red brick, and has a hipped Welsh slate roof with cast iron cresting and finialsDecoration marking the top end of some architectural element such as a gable, newel post or fence post.. It has two storeys and three bays, the central bay with a recessed arch, and the windows have round-arched heads. The ground floor window in the centre has a stuccoed rusticated surround and a dated double keystone, and above it is a stone panel.^[1][3]