About St. Edward's Hall

St. Edward’s Hall stands in the Square and was built in 1878 from unclaimed money placed in the Town Savings Bank and numerous generous gifts to provide the town with a meeting place. A figure of St. Edward stands in a niche over the main entrance. The Belfry Spire was added in 1894 to house the fire bell, as the Rector of that time would not allow the church bell to be used as such. It originally housed a museum mainly of flints, fossils, and Roman coins found locally, the library of the local Book Society with a reading room, and recreation rooms with billiards and ping-pong tables. The Main Hall upstairs was used for special occasions like the Hunt Ball.

Today the downstairs is occupied by the public library, a visitor information centre, and a collection of artefacts and militaria related to the Civil War. The Hall is managed by a Trustee Committee for the maintenance and further improvement of the building and facilities.

On the walls of the Hall is a collection of portraits dating from the Civil War, bequeathed to the people of Stow by Captain Christie Crawfurd in 1931. More information on these paintings can be found on our Civil War Collection Page.