Regular Services:
Please note that regular services are not running at Waterrow currently. For more information on services and church activities in the hall, please get in touch with the contacts.
Hall History and Information:
Waterrow Church and Hall is part of the Chipstable with Raddington parish which contains 3 churches – All Saints Chipstable, St. Michael’s Raddington and Waterrow Church and Community Hall. For more information on the parish please visit their parish website.
Waterrow is a pretty little hamlet on the Taunton to Barnstaple road. It was known for many centuries as East and West Skirdal until the early 20th century. From the latter half of the 18th century, the name Waterrue, then Waterrow crept in, and for over a century both old and new names were in use.
The original name is taken from the Old Norse “Skir”, meaning clear, bright, pure, referring to the river and the Saxon “Dael”, a valley. The old name of the hamlet lives on in the names of two houses locally, Skirdale and East Skirdale.
In the 19th century, Waterrow was bigger than it’s neighbour Chipstable, and most of the inhabitants of the parish lived in the lower lands around Waterrow. A Church Hall was built in 1908 for services and social events to avoid the mile and a half climb to the church at Chipstable. Both the Church of England and the Congregationalists held ‘Cottage Meetings’ in the ‘Hall’ until the building of the ‘Bethel Chapel (since closed) in 1890.
The building of a Church Hall for Waterrow was undertaken in 1906 at a cost of £350 (which included furniture) and completed in 1908. A most admirable site, just off the main road, convenient and central, was generously given by Thomas Davys, Esq., of Trowell, and conveyed to the Trustees viz. :–Messrs. A Capel, W H Pool. J Surridge, T J Stone, and the Rector. The land conveyed was about 12 perches, and the conveyance was made on 11th October 1907.
The Church & Community Hall at Waterrow — “is serving a most useful and valuable purpose, is utilised for all manner of good objects, and is a boom to the whole Parish as a Hall.” – taken from ‘Chipstable a Brief Sketch of the Parish and Church’ 1919.
The Hall is just as valuable today to the people of Waterrow, Chipstable and Raddington, as has been the case over the 100 years since its conception. It has also recently been extended with new kitchen, storage area and disabled toilets. An excellent venue for social events within the village and for private functions it is hoped the hall will serve the community for another 100 years and more!