Combe is a pleasant West Oxfordshire village, situated on the eastern edge of the Cotswolds and bordering on Blenheim Park. It has a lively community of about 850 with a strong sporting reputation. The village boasts a thirteenth century church, an excellent primary school and a beautiful cricket field. One of the most picturesque in the district, the recreation ground was opened by the Duke of Edinburgh in June 1949, two years after it had been purchased by the Parish Council from the Duke of Marlborough.
The hall faces west, with views west over church and village and south over the Evenlode Valley. While it provides space for fitness and other classes, community social events and private parties, it doubles as the village’s sports pavilion. Its adjacent field includes the cricket pitch, a full-size and two junior football pitches. It also provides play space for children and is publicly accessible to walkers, joggers, skateboarders and picnickers. The annual school fete is an example of the type of larger events held there.
The Combe Village Hall & Recreation Ground Committee, consisting of elected villagers and representatives of village organisations, is responsible for the management of the hall and recreation ground. The Conveyance and Trust Deed (dated 24 April 1947) stipulates that the premises ‘shall be held upon trust for the purposes of physical and mental training and recreation and social moral and intellectual development’ and the same objectives are referred to in the committee’s entry in the Registered Charity Index (Charity Number 267919).
The Committee receives no regular public income and running costs are met from hire charges and by additional fund raising. However, it gratefully acknowledges the support of Combe Parish Council, West Oxfordshire District Council, Awards for All and the Trust for the Oxfordshire Environment, all of which, in recent times, have made substantial grants towards its larger improvement projects.
