Church hall destroyed by fire
St Mark’s Parish Church Hall was destroyed by a blaze today after fire fighters battled for over an hour to try to save the 100-year-old building. Fire crews were called to the scene at 5:30am this morning.
The hall was built in 1908 as a church then replaced 60 years ago with the nearby larger stone church which was undamaged by the fire, as was Sacred Heart Primary School but this is currently closed for safety reasons. Church services are not affected but St Mark’s Road is closed.
The hall was used for scout meetings, wedding receptions and other community group activities – many of which will have to be moved or cancelled until a new hall is built – this was planned within the next two years but will now be brought forward.
Church hall before the blaze