Summary

Mechanic’s Institute, 1854, enlarged 1890; later Women's Institute.

Description

Mechanic’s Institute, 1854, enlarged 1890; later Women's Institute.

Materials: tooled squared stone and tooled and margined raised quoins; slate roof, coped gables with kneelers, tooled and margined ashlar stepped and corniced stacks.

Two storeys and four bays beneath a pitched roof. The three ground floor windows have raised stone surrounds with broad chamfers, and there is an entrance in a similar surround to the right, fitted with a six-panelled door. The three first floor windows are similar, and there is a smaller round-headed stair window to the right. Between the ground and first floor windows are inscribed panels 'The Women's' and 'Institute' flanking a framed tablet with the inscription: 'ESTABLISHED 1848 ERECTED BY SUBSCRIPTION 1854 AND ENLARGED BY GEORGE J COOKSON 1890'

Included for historical interest.

History

The Newbrough Reading Room and Mutual Improvement Society (later known as the Mechanic’s Institute) was established in 1849. Having quickly outgrown their meeting room, a new building was erected in 1854, funded by public subscription. The building was subsequently enlarged by George J Cookson in 1890.

In 1948 it was gifted to the local Women’s Institute, along with a sum of £100 for decorating and renovation work. Newbrough Women’s Institute was founded in 1923 by over a hundred women from the village, and prior to acquiring the former mechanic’s Institute, they met in the adjacent town hall.

Recommended Books

• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Northamptonshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)