THE centre of Wiveliscombe is going to be woken up later this month as a major restoration project takes its next step.

Wiveliscombe Town Hall has been ‘asleep and abandoned’ since it was closed down in the 1950s.

But after years of work by the charity setup to bring it back to life, the Town Hall is finally going to reopen its eyes.

Townspeople are being invited on the evening of Wednesday, July 26, to witness the building’s power turned on and its lights once again illuminating the three grand windows which look out over The Square.

‘The Big Turn On’, as it is being billed, will take place at 9.45 pm, and the organisers are also promising a ‘small surprise light’ which will be revealed on the night.

Town Hall trust chairman Emma Bettridge said: “This is the first time that most people will have ever seen the lights turned on in the Town Hall.

“While flicking a light switch is, in itself, a small thing to do, it is hugely symbolic of what we have and will achieve.

“The dark days are over, let the show begin.”

The historic Town Hall is due to be reopened later this year and start presenting a programme of theatre, cinema, music, comedy, and exhibitions.

In the meantime, the trust, which was formed in 2005 to bring the hall back into public use, will continue to seek funding and donations to carry on with the improvement works and equip the building.

The Town Hall is on the first floor of the building in The Square and is accessed via stairs, with ground floor businesses the Co-op, West Country Guns, and Wiveliscombe Library unaffected.

Electrical installation work has been carried out by Steve Eastick and his team at Somerset Electrical and Property Services, of Wiveliscombe.

The trustees secured funding in 2021 from the Architectural Heritage Fund and the now-defunct Somerset West and Taunton Council to ensure the building was made safe for public use.

It will still be spartan, and initially will not have a water supply, but events will once again be able to be held in the hall.