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One of three 19th century union workhouses in West Berkshire, demolished in the late 20th century apart from its chapel
The Hungerford Union workhouse was built in 1847 and its courtyard building is depicted on the Tithe map of 1849 <1>. Further blocks had been added by the First Edition Ordnance Survey mapping of 1879-85 <2>, and Second Edition OS makes it clear that its remit extended to Ramsbury as well as Hungerford <3>. It had changed its name to Hungerford Hospital after 1948 <4>.
Pevsner described it as of a utilitarian sub-classical style with pedimental gable <5>. It closed in 1989 and several planning applications followed which sought to redevelop the site, with some proposing the retention of the hospital and its conversion to residential. However applications in 1994 <6> were approved for the demolition of the hospital and its outbuildings and the development of 81 flats, houses and bungalows. The workhouse chapel however was retained and converted into two dwellings <7>.
Plans of the hospital were given to West Berkshire Heritage Service in 2004 by the health authority when closing the Newbury hospitals. Further information had been compiled by the Berkhsire Medical Heritage Centre <8><9>.
West Berkshire Museum has a series of oblique aerial photographs showing the hospital site in the late 20th century <10>. Some record of the building is held in the Historic England archive <11>.
| <01> | 1849. Hungerford Tithe Map. Numbered '355'. [Map / SWB150039]
http://ww2.berkshirenclosure.org.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=DD1%2f71%2f1 (Accessed 10/02/2022) |
| <02> | Landmark. 1872-85. Digital Ordnance Survey Mapping Epoch 1, 1:2500 (25 inch). Digital. 1:2500. Marked 'Union Workhouse'. [Map / SWB14341] |
| <03> | Landmark. 1899-1900. Digital Ordnance Survey Mapping Epoch 2, 1:2500 (25 inch). Digital. 1:2500. Marked 'Hungerford and Ramsbury Union Workhouse'. [Map / SWB14455] |
| <04> | Ordnance Survey. 1962-1981. Ordnance Survey Epoch 5, 1:2500. 1:2500. Marked 'Hungerford Hospital'. [Map / SWB14665] |
| <05> | Pevsner, N. 1966. The Buildings of England (Berkshire). p156. [Monograph / SWB10024] |
| <06> | Newbury District Council. 1974-2000. Newbury District Council Planning Applications 1974-2000. 94/44825/CON and 94/44826/FUL. [Index / SWB148104] |
| <07> | Newbury District Council. 1974-2000. Newbury District Council Planning Applications 1974-2000. 94/45678/FUL chapel. [Index / SWB148104] |
| <08> | Berkshire Medical Heritage Centre. 2000. Care & Compassion - Old Prints and Photographs of the Hospitals and Nurses in Berkshire and South Oxfordshire 1839-1930. p47. [Monograph / SWB13935] |
| <09> | Railton, M. 1994. Early Medical Services - Berkshire and South Oxfordshire from 1740. [Monograph / SWB14052] |
| <10> | Museum Curator. Newbury Museum Accession Records (West Berkshire Museum since 1998). 2022 WBC Network. NEBYM:2000.33.18-26. [Unpublished document / SWB14452] |
| <11> | Historic England (previously English Heritage). English Heritage Archives/ Historic England Archive. BF100569. [Index / SWB148730]
https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/photos/ (Accessed 20/02/2023) |
| <12> | Morrison, K. 1999. The Workhouse - a study of poor-law buildings in England. p89, 92, 98, 201. [Monograph / SWB13992] |
| <13> | Higginbotham, Peter. 2002-3. The Workhouse - The Story of an Institution. http://www.workhouses.org.uk/. [Website / SWB13934]
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/ (Accessed 07/12/2011) |
| <14> | Dils, J and Yates, M (ed). 2012. An Historical Atlas of Berkshire (2nd Edition). p104-105 Workhouses under the Old and New Poor Law, Illust. [Monograph / SWB148708] |
| <15> | Page and Ditchfield (eds). 1924. Victoria County History (VCH) Berks IV 1924. Vol 4. p184. [Monograph / SWB10281]
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol4 (Accessed 24/09/2015) |
| <16> | Peacock, D. 03/07/2016. Correspondence from David Peacock to West Berkshire HER about his research on James Money. 2016 WBC Network. 5. [Unpublished document / SWB149196] |