West Stoke Village Hall has been at the heart of the community for over 200 years. Built by the Duke of Richmond and Gordon in around 1820 it served as the school for local children for just over 100 years before closing in 1922. In its latter days the school was managed by the Rector of St. Andrews Church in West Stoke under the direction of the Bishop of Chichester. Pictures of children at their school are, today, displayed in the Hall.
Between school closure and 1973, the Hall served a variety of purposes but sadly fell into poor repair. In 1973 a committee of villagers was convened to rescue the building and take over its management.
In 2007 the Duke of Richmond generously passed ownership to the newly formed West Stoke Village Hall Ltd, a registered charity run by local trustees. Today, the hall is managed by the community, for the community, and continues to be improved and enjoyed by all.
The Hall is famed for its summer Sunday afternoon cream teas. These started in 1976 and have run near continuously ever since. Originally the teas raised much-needed funds for the restoration of the building, today they are run by, and on the behalf of, local charities.