A village hall used as a military hospital in the First World War is returning to its roots by becoming a doctor’s surgery.

Maiden Bradley does not have its own surgery, but for the past 26 years resident Eileen Seal has given up her living room every Monday evening for doctors to use.

Mel Thomas, chairman of Maiden Bradley Memorial Hall, said: “Prior to that it was someone else. It has been handed down through the village but Mrs Seal is getting quite elderly and frail.

“It is about time the village provided something.

“If there is a gap, we might lose the service and we would hate that.

“As chairman, I came up with the idea to turn one of our storerooms into a doctor’s surgery. We had it gutted, extended and refurbished to include everything a doctor’s room needs.”

The conversion cost £6,500-£7,000, covered by a £2,300 grant from Fudge Foundation plus help from the parish council and village fundraisers.

“We worked alongside the doctor, the parish council was on board and we had help from volunteers,” said Mr Thomas.

“Volunteers are a must. It would have been too big a job for one person to push through. It has taken 18 months from conception to completion.”

The hall, built in 1911 in memory of Duke of Somerset’s brother, was a military hospital in the First World War.

Mrs Seal, 89, has lived in the village since 1951 and has given up her living room every Monday from 5-6pm since 1988.

She said: “I said I was happy to carry on until I was 90 in January and I didn’t know who would have taken it on. I am pleased it has a new home.”

Dr Neil Harding from the Silton Surgery in Dorset will continue to be the resident doctor and the official opening will be on November 7.

The charity Community First Wiltshire says volunteers in the county give up more than 62,500 hours every year to keep their village halls running.

To encourage more to give their time, there is a free coffee morning at Lansdowne Hall, Derry Hill, near Chippenham, on October 22, from 10am to noon where advice on everything from funding to health and safety will be on offer.

Carol Southall, from Community First Wiltshire, said: Village halls and the volunteers who keep them going do a fantastic job.”