38. Coronation Hall, Muckhart

NN 999006 

 Originally a wooden structure, the Coronation Hall was purchased from the Glasgow Exhibition of 1911 with money raised by local residents. The site was donated to the community by local benefactress Ella Christie; a pioneering traveller who established the Japanese Garden at nearby Cowden Castle Estate. The name of the Hall commemorates the coronation of King George V. 

The Hall was first improved in 1929, when it was encased in brick and mortar and the kitchen and cloakrooms were added. In 1935, the village gathered in the Hall to celebrate the introduction of electricity to Muckhart. To mark the new millennium, the Hall was upgraded and extended with funding from the Lottery, to become the welcoming and charming building you see today. The Coat of Arms at the entrance was recovered from Cowden Castle Estate and serves as a reminder of the generous spirit of Miss Ella Christie. The Hall also marks the western boundary of the Conservation Area in Muckhart. 

The Hall was opened in 1912 in an event described by a local as ‘packed to capacity and we danced into the sma’ hours.’ From this inaugural celebration to present day, the Hall has been the centre of social life in Muckhart. People gather here for all sorts of activities: celebrations; workshops; exercise classes; school plays, live music, community pantomimes, Burns Suppers; fundraisers; community meetings and much more. To find out about classes and events or to find out how to book the Hall, please visit the Muckhart Community Council website: www.muckhart.org.uk. 

The Hall has a wooden sculpture of a wild boar outside which reflects Muckhart’s heritage. The Gaelic name, Muc-àird, comes from ‘muc’ (Pig) + ‘àird’ (Height), and may derive from the fact that the surrounding fields may once have been used for pig farming.