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Summary:
The fire station in Charnham Street was built in 1893 to accommodate the newly acquired (1891) Greenwich steam fire engine. Follow this link for more on the fire service 1890-1910.
It was in use for 75 years until a new fire station in Church Street was opened in 1968, built on land made available after the fire at James Great Western Mill in 1960. (See Fire Service since 1924).
The "Old Fire Station" became available for other use.
Photo Gallery:
The Fire Place, Aug 2001
The Fire Place, Aug 2001
Ad Hoc, May 2009
The Old Fire Place, Nov 1994.
- The Old Fire Place, November 1994.
- Ad Hoc, May 2009.
- The Fire Place, August 2001.
Timeline:
It appears that this site had no building until the fire station was built in 1893:
1893 Richard Henry Hoskins bought 1 Charnham Street and some land for £1,200. He also bought Tanyard Lawn from F.W.L. Popham £125.
1893 In September, Richard Hoskins (with George Cottrell agriculture engineer, John Platt brewer, George Edmund Platt brewer, and John Adnams corn merchant) bought "a parcel of ground in Charnham Street between the property of Margaretta Dredge and the cottage (2 Charnham Street)., on which they have "recently erected a building, to be used as a Fire Engine Station. R.H. Hoskins built the Fire Station, and the three gentlemen named, contributed the money for the people of Hungerford.". See Fire Service 1890-1910.
There is a large beam upstairs at 3 Charnham Street, carved with "<J-1749-W> (ie JW, 1749). Joan & Geoffrey Archer, who researched Riverside & The Cottage, 2 Charnham Street in 2001 recorded that it corresponds with the beams that they uncovered in the cottage when it was renovated. Could it be that John Westall had the cottage built for him or by him? perhaps part of the cottage was demolished to make way for the construction of the Fire Station.
1894 Charnham Street Floods: Marlborough Times of 17th November 1894 reported "...the inhabitants of the houses between the Bear and Mr. Gibbon's Iron Foundry were, if anything, in a worse plight. Mr Pinchen's house near the Fire Station was flooded, as was also the Engine House. Mr. Skinner's shop and dining room had nearly 2ft. of water in them, and boxes and confectionery bottles were floating about. The whole of Faulkner Square was under water, and had the appearance of a large lake. All the houses in the square were flooded, and the inhabitants had to remove upstairs, provisions, where needed, being drawn up in baskets. Mr. Hidden was a considerable sufferer, as to carpets and furniture. Mr. Edmonds and Mr. Pearce had their underground kitchens invaded, and as their supply of provisions and fuel were in them, they were cut off from food and firing. In the houses of Mr. Wren and Mr. Gibbons, the water rose to a great height, and the fire in the grate at Mr. Gibbons's was put out. Mrs. Withers, too, at the Red Lion Inn, had a terrible time of it, and the houses of Mr. Andrews, Mr. Lamsden, Mr. Buxey, and Mr. Joyce were also flooded."
1939 Blacket's Dir: Hungerford Fire Station
1940 Blacket's Dir: Fire Station
1968 The new fire station in Church Street was opened.
1988 The Fireplace (Hungerford) Ltd - (Eric and Eileen Smith. "Specialists in fireplace furnishings. Good stocks of fenders, fire irons, coal scuttles, fire backs, baskets and surrounds, etc. Also paintings and Staffordshire pottery". Eric Smith recalls that in the ?1990s the HVFB weather-vane suffered serios storm damage, and he had it restored be a metal craftsman.
2008 Ad-Hoc Unisex Hairdressing salon (Colin & Janet Langdon) moved here from 16 Bridge Street.
The Canal Wharf, 2011