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Summary

Grade I listed surviving wing of a 17th century workhouse, a bequest by John Kendrick, later used as a school, store and from 1904 a museum

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

• Listed Building (I) 1289770: MUSEUM
• Conservation Area: Newbury Town Centre

Other Statuses and Cross-References

• Berkshire SMR No. (pre 2000): 01391.06.000
  
• National Monuments Record No.: SU 46 NE 24
  SU 4723 6712
• Old Listed Building Ref (pre 1984) (II*): ø 1/102 Cloth Hall (Museum)
  Early C.17, restored 1829 and 1897 and since. Long rectangular 3 storeyed plastered gabled range with bracketted overhang at 1st floor. Tiled roof. Pilastered and bracketted doorway with modern door. For description see V.C.H. Berks IV. 130. See "Architectural Review" XVIII (1905) 235-6 for previous condition.

Monument Type(s):

• CLOTH MARKET? (17th century - 1627 AD to 1700 AD?)
• WORKHOUSE (17th century - 1627 AD to 1627 AD) + Sci.Date
• CHARITY SCHOOL (18th century - 1706 AD to 1722 AD)
• MUSEUM (Edwardian to Early 21st century - 1904 AD to 2050 AD)

Full Description

Pevsner <5> calls the Cloth Hall the most interesting house in Newbury. John Kendrick, a wealthy clothier, left money in his will for the building of a house to provide work in the clothing trade for the poor. The cloth industry had passed its peak period and was in decline, with consequent unemployment <4>. The construction of the 'workhouse' was completed in 1627, and the western end of the present West Berkshire museum formed one wing of this U shaped courtyard complex, the remainder having been demolished since. The building was referred to as a workhouse in records of the 1630s <7>, and was later used as a charity school, possibly after being a hospital and council chamber. The school was established by Newbury Corporation in 1706 but had moved out to Northcroft Lane by 1722 <3>. This move may have been prompted by the development of the Kennet Navigation with the land outside being used as a wharf. Possibly the former workhouse could have been in domestic or office use for a wharf manager. In 1829 it was converted as stores, with granary numbers being drawn on the doors of the Cloth Hall and Corn Stores.

By the 19th century it had gained the name 'Cloth Hall' <38>, although there is little evidence that the building was the home of the Weavers' Company <4> or used as a market hall where cloth merchants conducted business, and architecturally it differs from the earlier cloth halls of Kent <29>. It is suggested that inspiration for the workhouse in Newbury may have come from the Guildhall in the Market Place, which was erected in 1611 and had a similar open ground floor and timber-framed elevations.

On the instigation of the mayor, the Cloth Hall was restored as a memorial to Queen Victoria in 1902, and opened as a public museum in 1904. It was a scheduled monument (descheduled 1997) and remains a Grade I listed building.

Many of Newbury's early records were destroyed in the Civil War, but an account book, extracts from Corporation records and a list of debts due to the Workhouse in 1641 have been studied in detail by Jackson <12>. Much information was gathered about the fabric of the Cloth Hall when the West Berkshire Museum was redeveloped <29>. Dendrochronological dating of the principal rafters gave a felling date of 1624-1625 <28>. This ties in with the building contract signed in 1626 by Richard Emes, a carpenter of Speenhamland.

A watching brief <33> was conducted in advance of the redevelopment the museum buildings, including the demolition and replacement of the link between the Cloth Hall and Corn Stores. Excavation revealed a layer of tiles set on-end (in TH4) , these may have been a surface and abutted the Cloth Hall foundations. The TH pits exposed the foundations of each phase of the museum building. The foundations of the Cloth Hall were shallow and comprised brick foundations set upon a flint footing.

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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