Residents of Stokeinteignhead came out in their droves to see the opening of the new village hall on Friday afternoon.
Among the 200 people at the event were Lord Clifford of Chudleigh, who unveiled a commemorative plaque, Teignbridge MP Richard Younger-Ross, Teignbridge Council chairman Cllr Beryl Austen, representatives from the county council and Defra, and many former residents of the village.
Also present were three generations of the French family, who had donated land for the old village hall in 1950. It was the sale of this land in the centre of the village in 2005 for £395,000 that provided the bulk of the funds for the new building project.
Geoff Setter, chairman of the Stokeinteignhead Village Hall Committee, thanked all those agencies that had contributed funds to the project, particularly Defra, which had given a grant for £138,000.
Mr Setter also thanked Ugbrooke Environmental Ltd, local distributors of Landfill Tax credits on behalf of Viridor Waste Management, which also provided generous grants for the heating system in the hall and equipment for the children's playground.
He also paid tribute to the tireless fundraising efforts of the people in the village, who raised a further £39,000. The new hall near the centre of the village can accommodate up to 250 people. It has a main hall, meeting room, fully fitted kitchen, storage areas and foyer, plus full disabled access.
Features include maple wood flooring and under floor heating. The exterior is Devon stone and glass, and the grounds will be landscaped to blend in with the village.
A children's play area and sports pitch will be completed shortly.