WILTS & BERKS CANAL TRUST

 

It’s ours!!!

 

The Trust has, in the last week or so, completed the purchase of the historically important Sack House at Wantage Wharf. This is one of only two original canal buildings remaining in Wantage ( the other being the wharfmaster’s house) and therefore of great significance. It dates back to the building of the wharf in the early 1800s and served as a depot for hiring sacks of a standard size to farmers, corn merchants etc who wished to send their goods out of the local area. The West of England Sack Hiring Company was set up in the early 19thC and had the Great Western Rly contract for Cornwall to Bucks.

 

The company was liquidated in the 1920s. The building is small but has two rooms, one of which was an office and the other the storage for sacks and the weighing equipment. The previous owners Barratt Homes undertook the external renovation of the building two years ago at about which time we first made contact. Terms were agreed under which ownership passed to us with restrictions on future transfer and a covenant this it is to be used as museum.

 

The Branch intend now to renovate the inside of the building to a suitable standard, arrange for electricity supply to be installed and then fit out as a museum/exhibition area specifically concerning the Canal Wharf, Wantage Tramway and other associated industrial heritage. We are now setting up a management committee to move things forward. More details will be published when available. The likely first opening ( albeit before renovation occurs) will be during the Wantage Summer Festival in June.

 

Finally I would like to thank all those who have helped enable the Trust to this stage and for now I’ll mention just  Barratt Homes and  also John Mant Solicitors. I know there are various people around Wantage who have sought this solution over many years and my thanks goes to them too

 

After a super door opening ceremony in June at which Trust Chairman John Laverick and Fiona Roper, Deputy Mayor of Wantage , cut the ribbon, to the sound of the Wantage Silver Band, things have settled down with work starting on the inside of the building.

 

Brian Stovold