Mr Cecil Henry Groom was the second headmaster of Lenham School. The school was built in 1851 in what is now known as ‘Old School Close’, but, sadly, demolished in 1986. Mr Groom had two teachers, Mrs Fanny Norris and Miss Norah Waters and the school had 150 pupils. The school had one large room, divided by a partition, and all the children were taught in these two groups, as was the case for most village schools. It was lit by oil lamps until the ‘thirties’, and the school closed early on dark afternoons because it was too difficult to light. Heating was also minimal, with open fires.

Mr Groom retired in 1948 and it was he who worked out the dimensions for the War Memorial (chalk cross) on the North Downs. It was his idea to use the natural chalk to create a war memorial, instead of the granite memorials we see in other villages. It was not an easy task to undertake, because the undulation of the Downs tended to distort perspectives, but he persevered and walked back and forth from his house in the Old Ashford Road to ensure the image was pleasing to the eye from the valley. He was finally content with his markings and the Cross on the Downs remains for all to see.

We thank George Chambers and Jean Cockett and Amy Myers for their help in compiling this small piece of Lenham’s history.

The History of Lenham Village Hall

As we say goodbye to our Village Hall, it seems appropriate that we should look back to its service to Lenham community, not only in living memory but also to its origins. Why was it felt that a building to serve the community should be built in those far distant days?

If we go back some 200 years, the Industrial Revolution was spreading through the country and the new wealth it created was spreading to the land.
The new age was coming to the countryside. Ploughshares of wood were now being made of metal, mechanical seed sowers were here and care of the land was improving. Under the ‘Enclosure Acts’, the more efficient enclosed fields gradually replaced the “open” system of land management.

In 1801, the population of Lenham was 1,434; by 1831 it had grown rapidly to 2,197 and by 1841, had grown to 2,214. The growing economy began to affect the country and basic education, albeit at a price of 1p a day (in old money) was now available.

The Church was still the centre of the community, but Ale Houses and Public Houses were becoming the centre of meetings. It can therefore be understood why, in the early 1860s, prominent people in the Parish felt there was a necessity for a centre, which could be a meeting place. A committee was formed to oversee co-ordination of ideas and plan fund-raising efforts. (Does this seem a similar idea and “forward-looking” action as our new Community Centre?)

The final plan was to build a lecture hall and raise money by forming a Limited Company and, by the sale of shares, raise the capital for their new venture.

It was on the 28th May 1866 that the Certificate of Incorporation of the Lenham Institute Company Limited was constituted, with shares of £1.00 each, and a lecture hall and reading room was built.

Principle shareholders were James D Stoddart Douglas and Lord Chilston with 100 shares, William Hughes of Court Lodge Farm 20 shares, Thomas Powell,

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