West Berkshire Museum, Newbury

Please Note: Due to fire safety restrictions, only two ground floor galleries are open to the public; there is unfortunately no public access to the galleries in the Cloth Hall or on the first floor. There is a programme of temporary exhibitions providing access to some of the collections not on public display.

Historic Museum Buildings: The museum is housed in two of Newbury's most historic buildings. The Cloth Hall was built in 1626-1627 by Richard Emmes, a master carpenter of Speenhamland for the Newbury Corporation as a cloth factory. Originally part of a larger range of buildings with a courtyard in the centre, the building was subsequently used as a workhouse, hospital and school before being used for storing corn from 1829 until its conversion to a museum.

The Granary was built beside the river when the town became a busy inland port with the opening of the River Kennet Navigation in 1723. Used as a warehouse for corn storage until the twentieth century, in 1935 bay windows were put in the ground floor rooms and it became the location of the town's bus station. Today, the Wharf Street Cafe and Balnave Gallery occupy part of the ground floor. The museum opened in the Cloth Hall in 1904 after the building had been restored in memory of Queen Victoria. Known as a Museum of Antiquities and Natural Curiosities, it displayed items from across the world as well as those of local origin. The foundation collection was a miscellany that the Borough Council had inherited when the town's Literary and Scientific Institution closed in 1903. The museum was extended in 1934 when new galleries were built between the two historic buildings and in 1985 further galleries were opened in the Granary building. Since April 1998 the museum has been operated by West Berkshire Council.

Venue type

Museum

Additional info

Group/School Visits

All groups of 10+ are requested to book in advance. (NB The museum is currently limited to a maximum of 35 visitors at a time) Please call the museum office on 01635 519562. More information about getting the most out of your visit is
available here.

Access

Only ground floor galleries are currently open. These are accessible to most wheelchair users, but there are some narrow doorways and a shallow threshold at the entrance door.

Guide and hearing dogs are welcome. Seating is located throughout the galleries. Text versions of the audio visual commentary. Staff are able to give assistance if required.

Light Levels

Please note that light levels in some galleries are kept low in order to preserve delicate materials

Camera & Video

No photography or video is allowed without a permit.

Toilets

There are no public toilets in the Museum. Excellent facilities are located in in the car park
opposite

Please phone 01635 519562 to make appointments for:

Group Visits
Information Enquiries
Use of the Library and other resources


See the website for details of events and special exhibitions