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| HER Number | MWB3478 |
|---|
| Record Type | Monument |
|---|
| Name | Site of St Mary's Almshouses, Newbury |
|---|
Summary
Former location of almshouses from the 17th century; rebuilt in 1864 but demolished in 1971
Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status
- Conservation Area: Newbury Town Centre
Other Statuses and Cross-References
- Berkshire SMR No. (pre 2000): 01391.04.800
Monument Type(s):
- ALMSHOUSE (Jacobean to Late 20th century - 1604 AD to 1971 AD)
Full Description
St Mary's (or the 'Old Maids') almshouses stood on St Mary's Hill, an extension of Cheap Street. They were possibly on the former site of St. Mary's leper hospital (see SMR 1389.10) <1> <2>. They are shown on Willis' map of 1768 <3> with three ranges around a yard on the west of the street; there is documentary evidence for almshouses for six poor women predating 1604 <4>. The buildings were rebuilt in 1864 of brick with stone dressings and tall chimneys.
The large scale First Edition Ordnance Survey of Newbury <5> also shows a building on three sides of a courtyard open on the east side ; there is a photograph in the 1970s guide <4> although the building was demolished in 1971.
The charity also owned land to the east of Cheap Street, depicted in early 19th century maps <6><7>, although these do not show the almshouses themselves.
West Berkshire Museum has sets of photographs showing the demolition of the almshouses; also the almshouses before demolition <11>.
Sources and further reading
| <01> | ARH/KT Newbury District Museum. 1993. Almshouses in Newbury. [Unpublished document / SWB13457] |
| <02> | Newbury Museum Curator (?). ?. Newbury Workhouses: Summary. [Unpublished document / SWB13235] |
| <03> | 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 26. [Map / SWB8040]
https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary/50263734041 (Accessed 16/09/2021) |
| <04> | The Borough Museum, Newbury. 1973. Newbury Buildings Past and Present. p18, Illust p37, Map No 26. [Monograph / SWB12937] |
| <05> | Landmark. 1880-81. Digital OS Mapping Epoch 1, 1:500 - Newbury Town Plan. Digital. 1:500. [Map / SWB146990] |
| <06> | 1839-40. Plan of the Gas Works, the Old Workhouse Buildings, the New House and the Newbury Improvement Commissioners' Buildings…. not shown. [Map / SWB14352] |
| <07> | ?. 1838. Plan of Borough Workhouse, Newbury. not shown. [Map / SWB13193] |
| <08> | Page and Ditchfield (eds). 1924. Victoria County History (VCH) Berks IV 1924. Vol 4. p132, 152. [Monograph / SWB10281]
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol4 (Accessed 24/09/2015) |
| <09> | West Berkshire Museum. 2006. Heritage Guide No 8 - The Almshouses of Newbury. No 6. [Unpublished document / SWB148025] |
| <10> | Davis, Cornelius. 1849. Davis' Ten Miles round Newbury, 1849. Ref No 10 'St Mary's Hill Almshouses'. [Map / SWB13949] |
| <11> | Museum Curator. Newbury Museum Accession Records (West Berkshire Museum since 1998). 2022 WBC Network. NEBYM:1987.91.4-5; 1993.96.5; 2004.50.151-2; 2007.93.3-4. [Unpublished document / SWB14452] |
| <12> | Peacock, D. 03/07/2016. Correspondence from David Peacock to West Berkshire HER about his research on James Money. 2016 WBC Network. 15. [Unpublished document / SWB149196] |
Related Monuments
| MWB17631 | Site of early gas works, Newbury (Monument) |
| MWB3461 | HOSPITAL OF ST MARY, NEWBURY (Monument) |
| MWB17630 | Site of former Workhouse and Gaol, St Mary's Hill, Newbury (Monument) |
Associated Excavations and Fieldwork
None recordedIf you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.
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