West Berkshire Museum

The West Berkshire Museum sits in Newbury, Berkshire, within two historic buildings. One is the Cloth Hall, built in 1627 by carpenter Richard Emmes for the Newbury Corporation as a cloth factory. Over centuries it served as a workhouse, hospital, school and corn store before becoming part of the museum. The other building forms part of the same historic range around a central courtyard. The museum holds artworks and collections tied to Newbury and West Berkshire. A permanent exhibition traces the area’s geology and the lives of its people, from early ancestors to figures like Jack O’Newbury. The second floor hosts special exhibitions and Gallery 5, which can display original artwork, sculpture and craft. A local history library and café are also on site, along with a hireable conference room. Visitors find exhibition galleries, a café and a local history library inside the museum. The permanent display covers the region’s geology and the stories of those who shaped it. Special exhibitions and Gallery 5 offer changing displays of original artworks and crafts. The historic Cloth Hall, with its 17th-century origins, forms part of the museum’s setting.