The West Berkshire Historic Environment Record (HER) is the primary index of the physical remains of past human activity in the unitary authority of West Berkshire Council. Limited elements of the West Berkshire HER are available online via the Heritage Gateway, therefore it is not suitable for use in desk-based studies associated with development, planning and land-use changes, and does not meet the requirements of paragraph 194 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2021: 56). Please read
the important guidance on the use of the West Berkshire HER data. For these purposes and all other commercial enquiries, please contact the Archaeology team and complete our
online HER enquiry form.
Grade II listed late 19th century town hall built on site of mid 18th century predecessor
The Old Town hall or Mansion House was completed in 1742 designed by John Wood of Bath. Supported on piers and arches, it had a suite of rooms on the upper floor and shambles on the ground floor <1><6>. It was removed in 1908 <3><18>. The present Municipal building was built next to the Mansion House in 1878 and a clock tower was raised in 1881<4>. Pevsner says the design by James H Money echoes Waterhouse <8> <9>.
During the First World War the Town Hall was used for a variety of military purposes. At the beginning of the war the town hall was used as a base from which to recruit the New Army referred to as Kitchener's Army in the local newspaper <10>.
During the war many soldiers were encouraged to participate in sporting activities to pass the time and provide some enjoyment. Recruitment posters depicting sporting activities circulating at the time are known to have been emblazoned with the slogan "The army isn't all work!". The Newbury Town Hall was used in 1915 as a venue to host boxing tournaments between different regiments <11>.
A group of photographs in West Berkshire Museum shows the frontage of the Mansion House around 1908 before and during alterations <20>.
In the early 21st century, Newbury Town Council erected a 'Blue' Plaque to commemorate James H Money <22>.
| <01> | Garlick, V F M. 1970. The Newbury Scrapbook. pp30-31. [Monograph / SWB13220] |
| <02> | Curtis, W K. ?. The Municipal Building, Newbury 1878-1881. [Unpublished document / SWB13231] |
| <03> | The Morning Leader, London. 1909. Wisdom or Vandalism? Newbury Town Hall Doomed. [Article in serial / SWB13218] |
| <04> | Money, W. 1887. The History of Newbury. p422. [Monograph / SWB11828]
http://archive.org/stream/cu31924028185811 (Accessed 02/09/2013) |
| <05> | Money, W. 1905 & 1972. A Popular History of Newbury (also Walter Money's History of Newbury). p124. [Monograph / SWB11278] |
| <06> | Newbury District Field Club. 1895-1911. TRANS NEWBURY DISTRICT FIELD CLUB 1895-1911 VOL 5. V. p230 Destruction of the Newbury Town Hall (photo). [Article in serial / SWB10590] |
| <07> | Channer, N. 2004. Newbury: Living Memories. p27-31. [Monograph / SWB147337] |
| <08> | Pevsner, N. 1966. The Buildings of England (Berkshire). p181. [Monograph / SWB10024] |
| <09> | Tyack, G, Bradley, S and Pevsner, N. 2010. The Buildings of England (Berkshire). p395. [Monograph / SWB147855] |
| <10> | Newbury Weekly News. 1914. Newbury Weekly News 20/08/1914. 20/08/1914. 20/08/1914. [Article in serial / SWB148636] |
| <11> | Newbury Weekly News. 1915. Newbury Weekly News 15/03/1915. 15/03/1915. [Article in serial / SWB148637] |
| <12> | The Borough Museum, Newbury. 1973. Newbury Buildings Past and Present. p43-4, Illust p53-4. [Monograph / SWB12937] |
| <13> | Hopson, S. 1988. Newbury Then and Now. No 16. [Monograph / SWB13973] |
| <14> | Willis, John. 1768. Willis' Map of the Country ten miles round Newbury, with a plan of the Town of Newbury and of Speenhamland, 1768. 2 inch to mile?. Town Map No 23. [Map / SWB8040]
https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary/50263734041 (Accessed 16/09/2021) |
| <15> | West Berkshire Museum. 2006. Heritage Guide No 7 - Town Hall and Corn Exchange. [Unpublished document / SWB148024] |
| <16> | Page and Ditchfield (eds). 1924. Victoria County History (VCH) Berks IV 1924. Vol 4. p131. [Monograph / SWB10281]
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol4 (Accessed 24/09/2015) |
| <17> | Vincent, J E. 1906. Highways and Byways in Berkshire. p252, Illust of The Guildhall. [Monograph / SWB146918]
https://archive.org/details/highwaysbywaysin00vinciala (Accessed 07/06/2016 [1919 edition]) |
| <18> | Berkshire Archaeological Society et al. 1909-10. BERKS, BUCKS AND OXON ARCH J 1904 VOL 15. 15. In ADS Journals. 10.5284/1000017. p48 in Berkshire Archaeological Society. [Article in serial / SWB149054]
http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/berks_bas_2007/journal.cfm?volume=15 (Accessed 29/06/2016) |
| <19> | Davis, Cornelius. 1849. Davis' Ten Miles round Newbury, 1849. Ref No 15 'Mansion House'. [Map / SWB13949] |
| <20> | Museum Curator. Newbury Museum Accession Records (West Berkshire Museum since 1998). 2022 WBC Network. NEBYM:1980.133.4-6; D3552.37. [Unpublished document / SWB14452] |
| <21> | Peacock, D. 03/07/2016. Correspondence from David Peacock to West Berkshire HER about his research on James Money. 2016 WBC Network. 22. [Unpublished document / SWB149196] |
| <22> | 2016. Newbury Town Council. 'Blue' Plaques. [Website / SWB149145]
http://www.newbury.gov.uk (Accessed 03/01/2017) |
| <23> | Newbury Town Council. 2021. Newbury Town Trails: Public Art and Blue Plaque Map. 2021 WBC Network. Blue Plaque Trail 11. [Unpublished document / SWB150132]
https://visitnewbury.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Newbury-Blue-Plaque-and-Public-Art-Trail-Map-Digital.pdf (Accessed 13/02/2023) |