Out & About January 2018

OA feature

Since the 18th century a Georgian building in Mansion House Street had served as the town hall and within its walls were the Courts of Justice, but by the 1870s there were regular council meetings that discussed its inadequacy. In March 1875, entries were invited for the competition to design the new ‘Municipal Buildings’, with a deadline in May. James Money duly won this competition and the Newbury Weekly News noted this fact on June 24, 1875, by stating: “It is gratifying to find that the selection of plans, though conducted in ignorance of the actual competitors, has resulted in the success of a local architect, Mr. James H Money, whose long connection with the town will give him something of a patriotic as well as a professional zeal in the oversight of the works”. Mr John Crook of Southampton was appointed the contractor in May 1876, and work started on the foundations with the laying of a stone bearing the following words: “THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THIS BUILDING WAS LAID BY WILLIAM Q.C.RECORDER ARCHITECT H.BURKE GODWIN JOHN CROOK TOWN CLERK BUILDER The work was completed in 1878, with the official opening on Tuesday, May 7. “OPENING OF THE NEW MUNICPAL BUILDINGS The formal inauguration of these new Buildings…took place on Tuesday afternoon. The Right Hon the Earl of Carnarvon had accepted the invitation of the Mayor and Corporation to inaugurate the buildings,and at two o’clock his Lordship was received at the principal entrance in the Market Place by the Mayor, aldermen, councillors and the town clerk.” Newbury Weekly News Externally, Money used red and grey bricks in a range of patterns to create an imposing Victorian building, which reflected the area’s character and facades. The two towers facing the Market Place were described as: “differing in a character- istically Victorian way” – contrasting strongly with the classical stone frontage of the nearby Corn Exchange. The badges of the Borough of Newbury and Berkshire appear over the balcony, which is used for public occasions, allowing the mayor to address crowds in the Market Place below. Internally, it is dominated by the Council Chamber on the first floor, with a high ceil- ing, hammerbeam roof, large chunky fireplaces and stained glass windows. This area is approached by a grand staircase; while the courts were originally on the first floor.The extension along Mansion House Street provided office space which reflected the expansion of local government in the late 19th century. GEORGE ADEY MAYOR AUGUST 30TH 1876 G.M.DOWDSWELL JAMES H. MONEY

Newbury Town Hall, 1875 (design), 1876-78 & 1881 (built) Hungerford Town Hall, 1870-71 Significant works/buildings of James Money

Falkland Memorial 1875 (design) -1878 (unveiled) Nutley’s Brewery, Bartholomew St (later Phoenix Brewery), 1867 Church and Childs’ Almshouses, Newtown Road, 1879 Shaw Church Lych Gate, 1898 Oddfellows Hall (Newbury) 1886 East Garston School, 1872 Speen Cottage Hospital, 1869 Bucklebury Common Cemetery Chapel, 1886 Thatcham Cemetery Chapel, 1886 St, John’s Mission Room,Hungerford, 1899/1900 Bell at Boxford, rebuilding 1887 Bridge House, Northbrook Street, 1892 Municipal Offices, Mansion House Street, 1909-10 Chieveley Church belfry, 1893 Hamstead Marshall school, 1896 Cold Ash Children’s Hospital, 1891 (demolished 1970) St Luke’s Church, Wash Common, 1896 Newbury Cattle Market, 1873 (demolished 1969)

Plough Inn, Hungerford, 1879 The Gun, Wash Common,1880 Arlington Manor Lodge, 1881

Newbury clock tower In October 1880, Newbury Town Council decided to go ahead with the addition of the clock tower to the original town hall building, which they also asked James Money to design. This was completed in 1881, after the council agreed to raise the proposed height so that the clock face could be more widely seen throughout the area. The municipal offices which front Mansion House Street and appear to be an integral part of the town hall were, in fact, added in 1910 to replace the Georgian Mansion House, which had been demolished a year earlier. Work also began to widen Mansion House Street and when the building was finished a stone was laid bearing the following inscription: THIS CORNER STONE WAS LAID ON AUGUST 20TH 1909 BY

Phoenix Brewery

Hungerford Town Hall

THOS. W. TURNER (MAYOR) F. QUEKETT LOUCH, TOWN CLERK JAMES H. MONEY, ARCHITECT S.J.L. VINCENT, BOROUGH SURVEYOR THOMAS PLUMB, BUILDER This extension to the 1870s building was reported as com- plete in June 1910, and this date can be found on the side of the building. The interior of the offices were lit mainly by gas lighting, but with electric light for the borough surveyor’s office.

Falkland Memorial

Oddfellows Hall

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