The Galtres Centre is Easingwold's community centre. It is
established in a large building at the south-east corner of the
Market Square. Attached to it is a leisure hall large enough for
two badminton courts. The centre is a registered charity run
almost entirely by volunteers. Rooms in the Centre can be hired
by the hour for meetings, functions or entertainments. There is a
regular programme of events which is advertised locally.
There was a house on this site for many years but the present building was designed in 1897 by Demaine & Brierley, architects of York. The Galtres was owned by Francis Robinson who died in 1929. It was aquired by Captain Hugh Holdsworth of Halifax in 1930. He disposed of the property in 1935 to Jean Fenwick (wife of Gerald Fenwick) and Hugh Bonner of Bournmouth. Following Bonner's death in 1950, all interest in the property passed to Mrs Fenwick. For some reason, Gerald Fenwick never aquired any title to the property. During its earlier years, The Galtres was a centre for a number of local social events, but in later years it fell into disrepair.
In the late 1970s a body of townspeople organised themselves into a fund-raising committee to raise money for a community centre when a suitable building could be found. The action motivated the town with the result that a public meeting, held on 21st April 1981, agreed that an effort should be made to establish a community centre in Galtres House. The house and grounds were eventually aquired by Hambleton District Council for £144,825.
The raising of
funds to meet the anticipated cost of renovating the house now
took on amore urgent tone. The greatest personal feat of
fund-raising, which has still to be bettered, was performed by
Colin Brett on 15th/16th May 1982. In 1932, Colin's grandfather,
Stephen Brett, had walked a 24 hour marathon around Easingwold to
raise funds for St
Monica's Hospital. 23-year old Colin volunteered to emulate
his grandfather's walk to raise funds for the new community
centre. It was to take the same route - Long Street, York Road,
Crankley, Knott Lane - and in the 24 hours Colin covered 59 miles
and raised over £500 in sponsorship. Grandfather Stephen had
walked 10 miles further in 1932 but sadly died at the age of 83 a
week before Colin's fine effort.
In May 1982 the Hambleton District Council leased the house to the Easingwold Town Council for five years and the 2.75 acres of ground for ninety years. In May 1983 the Easingwold Town Council executed a Deed of Trust establishing a registered charity known as "The Galtres Centre" to administer the leased property as "a community centre for the use of the inhabitants of the Parish of Easingwold in the County of North Yorkshire".