7th March 1931
Contrary to what some people think, the Scouts didn’t acquire the land near the south west corner of the Lake Pleasure Grounds (Town Park), where the Greenland Hut was erected. The land belonged to Warminster Urban District Council who gave permission for the hut to be built there.
The hut was not second-hand. It was built by Messrs Holdoway of Westbury, who submitted a much lower tender than any other of the local tenders received for the work. The cost was £300.
The specifications included “An excellent floor will be laid so that dances in aid of Scout funds can be periodically held there, and also other entertainments staged.” The money was loaned upfront to pay the cost and the Scouts repaid it over a long period by holding dances, whist drives and other events.
Lord Bath officially opened the hut on Saturday 7th March 1931. That evening a whist drive was held in the hut to raise funds towards the building costs.
The hut was to measure 60ft by 24ft (some reports say 60ft by 20ft) and was to be able to seat 300 persons at events and to store the equipment and gym items of the Scouts. It was lit by electric and heated by gas.
The previous scout hut at Woodcock (where Robin Close was built much later) had been in use about seven years and had been the initiative of W. A Greenland, who had in turn been a scout, scoutmaster and district commissioner. The new hut at Weymouth Street was named the Greenland Hut after him, “whose energy was due not only to the maintenance of interest in scouting in Warminster but also to the formation of other troops in the neighbourhood. In recognition of all he has done in this direction, it is proposed to name the new hut The Greenland Hut.”
Mr Greenland had already left Warminster before the hut was built, and he was unable to attend the opening ceremony.
