A village hall was built to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. This was paid for by the Dowager Duchess, the widow of the 10th Duke. It was situated at the end of what is now Reynes Drive. It provided the village with a reading room for meetings, entertainment, and a library. The First World War saw great change. The 11th Duke had served in Egypt, and he set up a military training camp in Ampthill Park at his own expense. This, together with the expenditure on the estate, exceeded the income, and together with increased taxation occasioned by the war, forced him to reduce his land holdings. Therefore, in 1918, the Oakley estate was sold at auction by Knight, Frank and Rutley. Each tenant was given the opportunity of purchasing his own residence, and those who could afford it did so. From then on, Oakley ceased to be a ducal estate, and went into private ownership.