Victory Hall

Victory Hall is a village hall with a complex building history. It was initially constructed as a working men's institute around 1901, then substantially extended and remodelled in 1923 as a memorial village hall and social club to commemorate those who served in the First World War. The 1923 work was designed by founder Lady Gertrude Denman working with architect John Bond, and includes a significant set of frescos by artist Neville Lynton. The building received further extensions later in the 20th century.

The boundary walls and brick entrance steps are not included in the listing.

Materials and Construction

The original sections are built of brown bricks laid in stretcher bond, with brick and ashlar detailing. Later alterations and additions use red brick. The hipped roofs are covered in clay tiles, with a flat asphalt roof infill to the rear.

Plan

The building has a U-shaped plan with the front elevation facing north-east and wings extending to the south-west. The hall and former Women's Institute meeting room are located in the south-east wing. The Balcombe club facility and a residential flat occupy the north-west wing. Between the two wings, a flat-roof infill contains the dining room and kitchen facilities.

Exterior

This is a largely single-storey building in the Domestic Revival style with attic level; the north-west wing rises to two storeys. The building stands on a raised position above street level.

The symmetrical front elevation, built in stretcher-bond brickwork, features a recessed entrance bay flanked by a pair of projecting hipped-roof pavilions. All ground floor openings are topped by brick segmental arches. The central entrance is accessed via a set of brick steps and has a double-leaf panelled door with multi-pane glazing. The door is flanked by narrow six-light casements and additional wider casements. Above the entrance is a plaque reading 'VICTORY HALL BALCOMBE CLUB', surmounted by a brick parapet topped by a metal clock with scrolled railings. Behind the parapet, the hipped roof includes a hipped-roof dormer window.

The flanking pavilions have central four-light multi-pane windows and ashlar quoins. There are further casements within both the inner and outer returns. Against each pavilion's outer return stands a tall lateral brick stack. The pavilions are topped by hipped roofs with hipped roof dormers. A plaque has been added to the north pavilion, dedicated to founder Lady Gertrude Denman by the West Sussex Federation of the Women's Institute and marking the Federation's centenary on 21 September 2017.

The south-east wing has a slightly higher roof than the front range. The wing's long south-east elevation has red brick on the lower level and brown brick above. The brick on this side is laid in English bond, with a brick drip-mould band. It has six bays divided by projecting brick pilasters with tapering capitals. The outer bays contain double-leaf panel doors. The four central bays contain large multi-pane windows. At the south end of the wing, there is a small projecting bay with two casement windows. The wing's rear and north-west elevations have further casement windows and a rear single-leaf doorway.

The north-west wing is two storeys. This wing has been modified and extended in the late 20th century and is largely red brick with stretcher bond. At the north end is a gable-end bay with a pair of tall multi-casement windows similar to the south-west wing, and has a brown-brick corner pilaster. Further south the bay is set slightly back, with ground-floor casement windows and a row of gable dormer windows within the roof. The rear elevation has two ground-floor doors and a large gable dormer; there are two phases of brickwork at this end.

To the rear, a late 20th-century flat-roof extension has been built between the two wings. The rear elevation has a pair of multi-pane French windows with an overhanging pitched tile roof above. A late 20th-century fire escape leads up to the roof and provides access to the accommodation above the north-west wing. Beyond is an upper floor to the rear of the building's front range; this has further casement windows and an additional brick stack.

Interior

The T-shaped entrance hall walls are lined in timber panelling and several panelled doors with cast-iron handles. The area also includes a hexagonal tile floor, low radiators, stepped skirting and metal vents, and a central roof light. Directly opposite the entrance door are a pair of fluted Doric timber pilasters. Between the pilasters, timber panelling incorporates a Roll of Honour with a dedication reading 'THIS HALL WAS BUILT IN MEMORY OF THE BALCOMBE MEN WHO SERVED IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918'. Below are three panels with the names of those who served in the First World War. The memorial is flanked by two doorways; the right has been blocked and the left has a double-leaf partially glazed panelled door. Further carved dedications have been added to the panelling including the opening on 10 November 1923 and a commemoration for the building's Diamond Jubilee in 1983.

Within the south-east pavilion is the former Women's Institute room. It retains tall skirting and panelled doors and timber architraves, including a large pair of double doors which lead through to the hall. There is a boarded-up chimneypiece with a surround topped by a pulvinated mantel shelf. The counters attached to the walls are later additions. In the ceiling, a replacement hatch with an attached folding ladder leads to an attic level which includes a former projector room with a timber plank door and apertures that overlook the adjacent hall.

The memorial hall is within the south-east wing; at the far end is a stage flanked by additional small rooms. The memorial hall includes timber panelling similar to that found in the entrance hall, which extends around the lower half of the walls. There are various single and double-leaf panelled doors, and a section of the panelling in the north-west corner has been hinged to provide access to storage behind.

Neville Lynton's 'War and Peace' frescos run around the upper level of the hall walls. They were created using the true-fresco technique, achieved by applying paint to wet plaster, and depict scenes from the First World War. Starting from the wall above the main hall entrance (east), the fresco depicts a casualty of war being carried on a stretcher, flanked by German prisoners of war and British soldiers on either side. Further scenes of war and wounded soldiers continue around the south wall, which has rougher plaster than the other walls. To the west, on either side of the stage, the allegorical figures of Dolor (Sorrow; south-west corner) and Spes (Hope, north-west corner) are shown. Finally, the north fresco depicts soldiers returning home to their families, and scenes of village life after the war. The figures include portraits of real-life residents of Balcombe and those working on the development of the building, including Lady Denman looking over plans for Victory Hall with the architect. There is also a self-portrait of Neville Lynton playing the flute, alongside his second wife playing the guitar and his daughter dancing.

The north-west pavilion and wing contain the social club bar and lounge; this area has been subject to various phases of alteration and refurbishment including the removal of internal partitions, and the replacement of several fittings including the bar counters. Further south, the wing includes the billiards room, created through the removal of internal partitions and extensions in the late 20th century. Above this wing are a pair of residential flats. Within the 1990s flat-roof infill between the two wings is a dining area and kitchen.

The social club bar, lounge, billiards room, residential flats, and the dining area and kitchen within the 1990s flat-roof infill are not considered to be of special architectural or historic interest. However, any works to these areas which have the potential to affect the character of the listed building may still require Listed Building Consent.