Historic hall restoration under way after floods

Work is under way to bring a historic hall back into use as a music and comedy events space.

Flooding in November 2024 caused Wiltshire's St Margaret's Hall in Bradford-on-Avon to close. The 18th-Century building had previously been used for craft fairs, weddings and events.

Jack Vittles, the town's mayor, said he is "really pleased" that work is beginning to repair the hub, which could reopen in May.

"We're keen to make sure we get some really good events on in here. We've got 190 seats that we can use for comedy or music gigs," Vittles said.

Rising river levels forced the town centre to close when the storm hit in 2024, affecting many businesses.

Efforts to dry out the hall using fans and dehumidifiers have been ongoing since the floods, but further repairs are now being carried out.

"We are taking the small steps that we can to make the building more resilient...raising sockets, replacing flooring, doing everything we can to make it more recoverable if we do have a a flood again.

"Hopefully by early May we'll be able to get back in here, get some events back on and start making it a real centrepiece for our community once again," Vittles explained.

Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.