The old Jacobean cloth hall has gone from almost dereliction to a restored home for Newbury Museum although the design of the building has currently fallen out of favour with elf and safety due to it not meeting the required standards for fire safety. Here are a few pictures which show some of its history from derelict to smart. It is interesting to study the photographs and note some of the subtle changes. I believe that the wind direction indicator was remodelled during the refurbishment and conversion to a museum in 1900 ish. "It (the cloth hall)was in a parlous state and recently restored at a large expense by private enterprise and presented to the mumicipality for that purpose (as a museum)." (Walter Money 1907)
The brass knocker appears in the picture from the fifties but was not there either before or after the refurbishment. The rosette above the top window has disappeared but whether it has been rendered over we may never know. The attractive window headers have also gone. The roof covering was probably slate but has been replaced with clay tiles. The attractive window above the door has also disappeared to be replced by a Victorian pseudo mock Tudor infill and of course, a new door.
Not exactly the museum but have a look at the White Hart (now solicitors) alongside. The windows have not changed a jot but, it has lost its top storey.
The entrance to the Wharf was opposite way round, (See back of bus) and the wharf was the bus station then.
This is probably the earliest picture known of the cloth hall, taken in about 1860. It is taken from a lantern slide discovered in the United Reform church in 1989. It would be interesting to know if any other old slides of Newbury were found.
This is probably the earliest picture known of the cloth hall, taken in about 1860. It is taken from a lantern slide discovered in the United Reform church in 1989. It would be interesting to know if any other old slides of Newbury were found.
There were a few more Newbury and other local views in the slides found in the URC church hall - but most were nothing to do with Newbury. They are all in the Museum.
There were a few more Newbury and other local views in the slides found in the URC church hall - but most were nothing to do with Newbury. They are all in the Museum.
Ah, that's interesting. I wonder if there is any way of getting copies out of them to stick on the site. The system at the museum seems to be in a little disarray at the moment, I was doing some research on another subject recently and although there were a couple of photographs in a publication attributed to the library museum, there was no record of where they and possibly others are now.
The museum has a scale of charges for the use of images from their collections - I think they will allow us to put one on the web for £70 or £80 a year. Anyone fancy contributing?
The system at the museum seems to be in a little disarray at the moment, I was doing some research on another subject recently and although there were a couple of photographs in a publication attributed to the library, there was no record of where they and possibly others are now.
The Museum is in some disarray - there is no one left with in depth knowledge of the collections. They are, I'm told, aiming to recruit a new collections officer - if the forthcoming cuts don't stop them.
The Library and the Museum are different organisations - if the Library published something (presumably some time ago) there is no real reason that the Museum ever had the photos.
PM me with some details and I will see if I can find anything.
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