Dartington Village Halls Celebratory Bench
Art, craft and history have combined at Dartington village hall, which celebrates 100 years this year.

The wrinkly tin clad hall is much loved by the community and as it’s a special year the volunteers who run it decided to mark the centenary by commissioning a bench, which is now ensconced out
front for all to admire and use.
Working from original art work by a trustee of the hall John Platt, award winning blacksmith Spencer Larcombe spent 280 hours making the bench. It has poppies -to mark the fact it was built
as a memorial to local men who died in the First World War – and a heart of oak.

The bench was funded by Heritage Lottery money.
Spencer has been an artist blacksmith for 30 years and made the bench at his Harberton workshop, Blackswan Forge. “It’s hard on the body but it’s great to leave a legacy,” Spencer says.
John, a retired Steiner School teacher , playwright and artist, was overwhelmed by seeing his original design transformed into a beautiful and practical bench.
“It’s so gorgeous and we are all in awe of what Spencer has done. It will be here, we hope, for another 100 years at least.”