Newbury Society Bulletin January 2025

Kennet Centre – Decision Awaited

Kennet Centre Development

The Newbury Society has continued to object to the eight-storey redevelopment of the Kennet Centre, lobbying all the members of the district planning committee and raising many grounds for refusal.

These include the scale, mass and height of the development; the complete lack of affordable housing; the harm to the conservation area; the harm to the setting of listed buildings; the shortfall in parking spaces (with 80% of the parking to be provided by the existing multi-storey); the harm to Newbury’s economy; and the shortfall in amenity space.

In spite of our objections, and objections from Historic England and others, council officers were recommending that the plans should be approved.

Dates for Your Diary – 2025

Talks are held in the Parish Room, St John’s Church, St John’s Road, Newbury RG14 7PY.

Admission is free for members or £2.50 for non-members. Visitors are most welcome.

Thursday 13th February, 7:30pm – Constable Julie Lloyd and Steward Greg Furr: The Town and Manor of Hungerford

The Town and Manor of Hungerford and Liberty of Sanden Fee is a charity (formed in 1908) that protects the local countryside and a wonderful ancient set of rights, for the Commoners and people of Hungerford. The modern estate managed by the Trustees comprises 423 acres (171 hectares) of land including Hungerford Common, Freeman’s Marsh Hungerford Marsh Nature Reserve, The Croft, the Recreation Ground and War Memorial, Hungerford Town Hall and the John O’Gaunt Inn.  In addition, it owns 5 miles of rivers and chalk streams which are operated as a fishery.
Julie Lloyd is a solicitor who had a private practice locally and is now the in-house Counsel for a local farming and property company. Julie is the present Constable and chairs the Board of Trustees. The Constable also represents the Town and Manor on civic occasions and at public events.
Greg Furr is currently the Steward of the Town and Manor, responsible for advising the Board of Trustees and the Committees on all procedural matters relating to the governance of the charity, and for safeguarding its ancient traditions.  The Steward is also responsible for the administration of Hocktide, the annual celebration of the ancient rights of the Town and Manor, and for the elections of Trustees.

Thursday 13th March, 7:30pm – Nick Young: A brief history of Thatcham

The talk will look at the history of the parish from evidence of early humans in the Palaeolithic, through the birth of the modern town to the present. Important events that shaped the development of Thatcham will be discussed, key buildings will be looked at and the origin of the name. The talk will give a brief overview of the extensive history of Thatcham.
Professionally Nick works as a web developer and IT consultant, having previously worked as a computer science lecturer in the FE/HE sector. Local, Thatcham, history has been an interest since an early age and over the last decade has resulted in several publications, talks and media appearances on the topic.

Thursday 10th April, 7:30pm – Eric Turner: Reflections on a Museum Career

Eric Turner will give a brief overview of his career as an art historian, firstly as a porter in Sotheby’s, followed by his career as a curator in the Victoria and Albert Museum.  His talk will focus on how both these institutions have responded to changing tastes and markets over the last 50 years.
Eric Turner recently retired from the Victoria and Albert Museum after 45 years.  His responsibilities were for the research and development of the late 19th century, 20th century and contemporary artistic metalwork collections.  He has published and lectured nationally and internationally on these subjects and throughout his career has been responsible for major acquisitions of historic and contemporary metalwork.

Thursday 8th May, 7:30pm – Johannes von Stumm: My Journey in Sculpture

A talk by sculptor Johannes von Stumm, which relates the journey of how his work developed.  He started making sculptures combining glass, stone and metal; but in trying to create larger pieces of glass he had to accept the technical limitations.  Replacing glass with empty space led him in the early years of the 21st century to create material and immaterial figures.  One example, called “Couple in Conversation,” stands on the Robin Hood roundabout, another one welcomes everyone entering the Greenham Common Trust.
Born in Munich, Johannes von Stumm moved to England in 1995.  He is a founding member of Sculpture Network (Europe), President of the Royal Society of Sculptors and President of Open Studios West Berkshire and North Hampshire.  He has worked now for 40 years and still has some projects full of poetry and spirituality which he would like to realise.

June / July (date to be advised) – Visit to the Thames Valley Police Museum at Sulhamstead

Thursday 11th September, 7:30pm – Nathanael Hodge: A history of milling in 30 objects

Nathanael is from the Reading-based Mills Archive Trust, the national repository for the documentary and photographic records of traditional and contemporary mills and milling.  

Thursday 9th October, 7:30pm – AGM + David Peacock: Newbury in 2025 

Newbury Society chairman David Peacock will be reviewing the past year; talking about Newbury today, some of its attractions, and the range of challenges it faces.  

Thursday 13th November, 7:30pm – Charlotte Hitchmough: Action for the River Kennet (ARK) – its work and campaigns

Charlotte is the director of the Marlborough-based charity which works to conserve, protect, rehabilitate and improve the rivers and other waterbodies of the Kennet and Pang catchments.

The demise of the Stroud Green Poplars

Upcoming Events
The landmark lines of poplars on Stroud Green were cut down in November and early December.  The poplars had been part of the character of the area for decades, but were cut down by West Berkshire Council after several had blown down in strong winds, and there were fears that more were unsound.  The council carried out a survey asking for suggestions about their replacement, with over 1,000 submissions.  The most popular response was to ask for them to be replaced with similar trees, and this has been agreed by the council.  The replanting is expected to take place next winter, between November and February.  

We welcome correspondence on topics of local interest including planning matters and other items covered by our newsletters / bulletins. Send emails to secretary@newbury-society.org.uk or write to us at 114 Shaw Road, Newbury RG14 1HR

Lost Pubs of Newbury The Royal Oak / Plumbers Arms

Stroud Green Poplars
This is the first of a series of articles by Phil Wood investigating some of the many former pubs, inns and beer houses in Newbury.Browsing through old newspapers is always interesting, reading of the events of past times and gaining a small insight into the way of life a century or so ago. Sometimes one comes across a real gem, such as the article below. Originally written in 1889 and discovered in a paper from 1922, it speaks of pubs and beerhouses long gone (mostly). It’s a common theme for reminiscences; pubs were far more embedded in day-to-day life in my youth, let alone a century or so before.  What makes this article so special is that the writer identifies the location of a number of the lost pubs. So often it is assumed that the reader will know this, or that the street name is sufficient.Old Memories RevivedNewbury Weekly News, 8 June 1922

Amongst former licensed houses in Newbury may be mentioned the following: “The Royal Oak,” now Mr Porter’s shop; another where Mr Wareham’s shop now stands; one in Jack-street, and another at the bottom of Northbrook-place. There was also “The Constitution,” now Mr F Tombs; the “Kennet House,” and “The Sergeant,” are of more recent extinction; also the “Brittannia” where Mr Moss’ shop now stands, and the “Queen” at the top of Craven-street, the latter being kept by an old woman, known as Mother Wide Awake; the “Green Man” in West Fields, the “Three Trouts” in Northcroft-lane; the “Lamb and Flag” in Bartholomew-street, are all amongst the memories of the past. The “Fountain” has nothing left of its former appearance in the Conservative Club, while the younger generation can hardly realise that a beerhouse stood on the site of Messrs Godding and Edwards’ shop and the “Eagle” public house where Mr A Jackson’s shop now stands. Where Mr A Cary’s music warehouse is now, there used to be a beerhouse, another on the site of Mr Fabry’s shop. The old “Globe,” is well within recent memory, having been replaced some twenty years since by the handsome premises of the Old Bank, the name having been subsequently transferred to the house which in former days was known as the “Royal Exchange,” nor is the transformation of the “Three Tuns” into the “Queens” a matter of ancient history.

June 9th, 1889. 

Stating that the Royal Oak was formerly in Mr Porter’s shop, is not like saying 70 Northbrook Street, but reference to an 1889 town directory shows that George Porter, a pork butcher, was indeed doing business at that address. Today it is the long-serving premises of the jeweller, J Lawrence.

A glance at the size of Lawrence’s premises shows that the Royal Oak was not one of Newbury’s great coaching inns; indeed it was one of the smaller pubs and beerhouses in the town. However, it was around well before the many new beer houses that sprang up following the 1830 Beerhouse Act.  The earliest record uncovered to date is from a Poor Rate of 1792, when Samuel Slocock was responsible for payment and the building had a rateable value of £4 10s (pub values ranged from £3 0s to £37 10s). Slocock was proprietor of the West Mills Brewery and held the premises on a lease, he was not the landlord or licensee.

It is quite likely that the pub traded under a different name before this date. In 1761 the Borough Quarter Sessions considered pub licensing and decided to limit their numbers to those currently trading and no more. To make the limit clear the minutes listed the 42 pubs and inns that would hold licenses. The Royal Oak is not on the list.

However, the list is presented geographically making it possible to tell roughly where pubs, whose names have disappeared into obscurity, may have been located.  Where the Royal Oak would have appeared was a pub called the Elephant.  This is not proof that the two were the same pub, but, given the circumstances of the licensing magistrates acting to keep the number of licenses down, changing a name would have been straightforward and opening a new pub a lot more difficult.

In January 1802, the landlady, Martha Payne, along with four fellow licensees, was fined 5s for opening their premises on a Sunday (‘exercising their worldly business on the Lord’s day’). This incident went unreported in the Reading-based local press but is reported in a journal kept by the mayor of the time – Joseph Toomer.

The Royal Oak name persisted until 1847 when it was changed to the Plumbers’ Arms.  Changes of name then as now are about marketing – often an attempt to get rid of a bad reputation, This was almost certainly the case with the Royal Oak. In 1837 the landlord, William Parr, was fined £5 for ‘allowing gaming and harbouring persons of bad character’ (the latter term usually implies prostitutes). In 1847 a sequence of court cases associated with the pub suggest that it was a haunt of pickpockets and prostitutes – and the landlord, William Blandy, was fined for allowing gaming on the premises. Blandy was replaced by Mark Dowling, who was soon in court giving evidence when Elizabeth Pitthouse (described using another euphemism as a ‘nymph of the pavé’) is accused of stealing £21 10s from her ‘companion’. The case collapsed at the Borough Quarter Sessions but, once again, the reputation of the Royal Oak was in the public eye.

In 1848 the West Mills Brewery was sold by the Slocock family to William Cannings and William Hawkins; the Royal Oak was listed amongst the assets changing hands. Changes of name are often spread over a period – it’s a lot easier to hang up a new sign than change the name on legal documentation such as property deeds or licensing registers.

The change of name does not seem to have had much effect. By 1851 the licensing magistrates had had enough and denied the annual renewal of the licence decreeing that ‘the house should be shut up as a licensed house for twelve months’. The pub kept going despite this, fortunate that it was during the period (1830-69) when it was possible to trade under a beerhouse licence (beer or cider only, no wines or spirits) from the local excise office (an action beyond the control of the licensing magistrates).  In 1852 another landlord, David Hunt, applied to the magistrates for the restoration of the full licence – which was denied, but not without some encouragement, suggesting he try again next year.  On 22 August 1853, that year’s Annual Licensing Session saw the reinstatement of the full licence – Hunt had evidently done enough to satisfy the licensing requirements.

However, the Plumbers’ Arms does not appear to have been a success. Under the new name it features in several more court cases, demonstrating that the clientele did not improve. Hunt was replaced by Elijah Oliver in 1855 who, in turn, was replaced by James Alder in 1856; rapid turnover of licensee is never a good sign. In 1857 an advertisement appeared in the Reading Mercury announcing an auction of the contents, suggesting its days as a pub were over. There is no subsequent evidence to suggest otherwise. The next available data on the property comes in the 1861 census, when it was vacant. In 1871 it was in use by a poulterer, Ralph Allder.

THE NEWBURY SOCIETY – OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE 2022/23President: Lord Benyon      Vice President: Garry Poulson
OFFICERSChairman, Planning Spokesman and Local History Advisor:
David Peacock 01635 524017 chairman@newbury-society.org.ukTreasurer and Membership Administrator:
Mike Hood 07775 800183 treasurer@newbury-society.org.uk
                    & membership@newbury-society.org.ukSecretary, Bulletin Editor and Waterways Representative:
Graham Smith 01635 580356 secretary@newbury-society.org.uk
COMMITTEE Dr Paul BryantJohn Handy (Trees & Landscaping Advisor)Chris MarriageGarry Poulson 
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