The Former Reading Room at Timberscombe
Title
The Former Reading Room at Timberscombe
Subject
Description
A photograph, used as a postcard, one of the few depictions of the Timberscombe Reading Room. It is the low white building, with two windows and a doorway facing the camera. It was situated just past the end of the St. Petrock's churchyard path, running from the north-facing church porch to the former Glebe land of the Rectory farm, which had become known as the Club Field when the Reading Room was built (1). The northwest gate of the churchyard is visible in front of the Reading Room, glimpsed between the gravestones. Another gate is seen halfway down the walkway to the right. This is the main front entrance to the church, after coming up the cobblestoned church steps from Timberscombe Village Square. A hanging light is seen over the wall to the right side of the gate, which still survives (although in later years, it is placed more directly over the gate).
Before 1913, there had not been a community meeting room in Timberscombe. On the 1st of September, a meeting was called to order by the vicar, the Rev. Henry Herbert Bell, held at the "Old Room". It is not known exactly where the "Old Room" was, but it may have been in the Old Vicarage, seen in the centre of this photograph with a tree at its front (which no longer stands). The origins of this church vicarage go back to at least the 16th century and were subject to extensive renovations between 1855 and 1864 (2. Rev. Bell would have been working (and living) here. £31.9s.0d. pounds had already been raised towards the £60 needed to build a Reading Room. According to the minutes of this meeting, Sir George and Lady Mary Farwell and their daughter, Maud Farwell of Knowle House, had offered to provide the balance (3).
A committee was formed, consisting of the vicar, Mr. Herbert Shephard, the Head Teacher at the Timberscombe School (4), Mr. George Blackmore, a carpenter who resided at Hole's Square (5), Mr. Robert John Grabham, the village blacksmith (6), Mr. Matthew Middleton, a farm labourer and shepherd, who boarded at The Knapp (7), Mr. Robert Poole, the proprietor of Poole's, a grocer, and draper's shop on Brook Street (8), and a Mr. Falmer--as spelled in the minutes, which may have been Mr. Joseph Farmer, a labourer, living at the Hill (9). A Mr. Harrison was hired to erect the building, made of corrugated metal, which was completed by the end of the year.
It was a men-only reading room, with three newspapers always on offer. Billiards and six tables for whist were available, as well as a fire on colder days. A packet of needles and stationery could always be had. On the 18th of December 1936, electricity came to the Reading Room, officially switched on by Mr. William Gibbs Morel of Bickham Manor (10).
The advent of World War II brought changes for the Reading Room. Mrs. Kathleen A. Willis, the Head Teacher of the Timberscombe School, wrote in the school's Log Book on 1 September 1939, that "Owing to the Evacuation of London School children the school was closed today until further notice". It reopened on 11 September for local children only. On 18 September, the local children began attending in the morning and the evacuated children started classes in the afternoon. On 20 November the London children were moved into the Reading Room. In 1940, they were joined by other children evacuated from West Ham. By 1 October 1940, all children were merged (for awhile) and the Reading Room was closed.
By 1941, more children from Kent and Bristol were arriving at Timberscombe. Desperate for teaching spaces, on 24 October an empty village shop and the skittle alley were examined. Mrs Willis wrote that the skittle alley might have to be used as a classroom because they could not rehire the Reading Room, "now in military hands" (11).
Sadly in February of 1944, 8 year old George Milton played with fire and a nearby pile of straw, and accidentally burned down the Reading Room (12). The military may have moved on as 23 school desks, which were being stored in the Reading Room, were destroyed, 13 the property of Bristol and 4 from West Ham (13). In later times a red telephone box for the village was put on this spot. Constructed in the original design of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the kiosk was Grade II listed on the 14th of August, 1989 (14).
Also of interest in this photograph, the dark gabled front of the Timberscombe School House, built in 1876, is visible near the left edge of the photograph. The red sandstone and rubble schoolhouse with mullioned windows, remains part of the schoolhouse but the original front facade was later obscured by alterations. To its right is an L-shaped building, consisting of a left to right building, merging into another gabled roof. The left to right building was the first original schoolroom and the gabled roof is atop the house initially designed for the Head Teacher, both erected in 1805 (15). The Head Teacher's quarters will later become a residence, still called School House.
Over on the right edge of the photograph, the back roof of the early 19th century Church Steps Cottage (16), once supposedly the Village Poor House (17), is seen, situated to the right of the church steps (not visible here) that lead up to St. Petrock's Church from the village square. To the left of the roof of Church Steps Cottage, a higher roof is the site of the Old Forge, where the aforementioned Mr. Robert John Grabham (on the founding Reading Room committee) worked as blacksmith until at least 1919 (18). A lower roof is on its left (with a tall chimney), a living accommodation semi-detached to the forge. By the early 1930's the Old Forge was converted into three residences, addressed Nos. 1, 2 and 3 Old Forge (19).
This photograph, labeled "School and Rectory, Timberscombe", is possibly by Herbert John (Bert) Hole, a Watchet based photographer who died in 1915 (20). This is not verified but the photograph is much in his style and labelled in a manner that he (and others) used. Mr. Hole married Alice Maud Williams, born in 1880 at Timberscombe, the daughter of Robert, a shoe and boot maker and Eliza Ann (nee Morle) Williams (21). Mr. and Mrs. Hole's two sons were baptised at St. Petrock's (22). Their daughters, Vera, born in 1909, and Rita, born in 1912, attended the Timberscombe School, beginning in 1916 (23). This photograph was reproduced as a postcard and bound in a small leather volume along with 11 other Timberscombe scenes. It was donated in 2019 by Maurice Huxtable, who remembered playing darts at the Reading Room.
Before 1913, there had not been a community meeting room in Timberscombe. On the 1st of September, a meeting was called to order by the vicar, the Rev. Henry Herbert Bell, held at the "Old Room". It is not known exactly where the "Old Room" was, but it may have been in the Old Vicarage, seen in the centre of this photograph with a tree at its front (which no longer stands). The origins of this church vicarage go back to at least the 16th century and were subject to extensive renovations between 1855 and 1864 (2. Rev. Bell would have been working (and living) here. £31.9s.0d. pounds had already been raised towards the £60 needed to build a Reading Room. According to the minutes of this meeting, Sir George and Lady Mary Farwell and their daughter, Maud Farwell of Knowle House, had offered to provide the balance (3).
A committee was formed, consisting of the vicar, Mr. Herbert Shephard, the Head Teacher at the Timberscombe School (4), Mr. George Blackmore, a carpenter who resided at Hole's Square (5), Mr. Robert John Grabham, the village blacksmith (6), Mr. Matthew Middleton, a farm labourer and shepherd, who boarded at The Knapp (7), Mr. Robert Poole, the proprietor of Poole's, a grocer, and draper's shop on Brook Street (8), and a Mr. Falmer--as spelled in the minutes, which may have been Mr. Joseph Farmer, a labourer, living at the Hill (9). A Mr. Harrison was hired to erect the building, made of corrugated metal, which was completed by the end of the year.
It was a men-only reading room, with three newspapers always on offer. Billiards and six tables for whist were available, as well as a fire on colder days. A packet of needles and stationery could always be had. On the 18th of December 1936, electricity came to the Reading Room, officially switched on by Mr. William Gibbs Morel of Bickham Manor (10).
The advent of World War II brought changes for the Reading Room. Mrs. Kathleen A. Willis, the Head Teacher of the Timberscombe School, wrote in the school's Log Book on 1 September 1939, that "Owing to the Evacuation of London School children the school was closed today until further notice". It reopened on 11 September for local children only. On 18 September, the local children began attending in the morning and the evacuated children started classes in the afternoon. On 20 November the London children were moved into the Reading Room. In 1940, they were joined by other children evacuated from West Ham. By 1 October 1940, all children were merged (for awhile) and the Reading Room was closed.
By 1941, more children from Kent and Bristol were arriving at Timberscombe. Desperate for teaching spaces, on 24 October an empty village shop and the skittle alley were examined. Mrs Willis wrote that the skittle alley might have to be used as a classroom because they could not rehire the Reading Room, "now in military hands" (11).
Sadly in February of 1944, 8 year old George Milton played with fire and a nearby pile of straw, and accidentally burned down the Reading Room (12). The military may have moved on as 23 school desks, which were being stored in the Reading Room, were destroyed, 13 the property of Bristol and 4 from West Ham (13). In later times a red telephone box for the village was put on this spot. Constructed in the original design of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the kiosk was Grade II listed on the 14th of August, 1989 (14).
Also of interest in this photograph, the dark gabled front of the Timberscombe School House, built in 1876, is visible near the left edge of the photograph. The red sandstone and rubble schoolhouse with mullioned windows, remains part of the schoolhouse but the original front facade was later obscured by alterations. To its right is an L-shaped building, consisting of a left to right building, merging into another gabled roof. The left to right building was the first original schoolroom and the gabled roof is atop the house initially designed for the Head Teacher, both erected in 1805 (15). The Head Teacher's quarters will later become a residence, still called School House.
Over on the right edge of the photograph, the back roof of the early 19th century Church Steps Cottage (16), once supposedly the Village Poor House (17), is seen, situated to the right of the church steps (not visible here) that lead up to St. Petrock's Church from the village square. To the left of the roof of Church Steps Cottage, a higher roof is the site of the Old Forge, where the aforementioned Mr. Robert John Grabham (on the founding Reading Room committee) worked as blacksmith until at least 1919 (18). A lower roof is on its left (with a tall chimney), a living accommodation semi-detached to the forge. By the early 1930's the Old Forge was converted into three residences, addressed Nos. 1, 2 and 3 Old Forge (19).
This photograph, labeled "School and Rectory, Timberscombe", is possibly by Herbert John (Bert) Hole, a Watchet based photographer who died in 1915 (20). This is not verified but the photograph is much in his style and labelled in a manner that he (and others) used. Mr. Hole married Alice Maud Williams, born in 1880 at Timberscombe, the daughter of Robert, a shoe and boot maker and Eliza Ann (nee Morle) Williams (21). Mr. and Mrs. Hole's two sons were baptised at St. Petrock's (22). Their daughters, Vera, born in 1909, and Rita, born in 1912, attended the Timberscombe School, beginning in 1916 (23). This photograph was reproduced as a postcard and bound in a small leather volume along with 11 other Timberscombe scenes. It was donated in 2019 by Maurice Huxtable, who remembered playing darts at the Reading Room.
Creator
possibly Herbert John (Bert) Hole
Source
Date
likely pre 1915
Contributor
Language
English
Identifier
Reading Room and the North Churchyard of St. Petrock's Church / Timberscombe / Village Centre
Acquisition Date
2019
Acquisition Method
Gift
Category
PLACES: Buildings / Timberscombe
PLACES: Churches and Chapels / Timberscombe
PLACES: Churches and Chapels / Timberscombe
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
Entered by Tom Sperling
Condition Date
2020
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
10.5 X 16.5
11.5 X 18 (VILLAGE HISTORIES)
11.5 X 18 (VILLAGE HISTORIES)
Institution Name
St. Petrock's History Group
Notes
(1) TimberscombeVillage.com/ The History of Timberscombe/ Other Historic Structures/ The Reading Room, compiled by Lesley Webb, which includes an excerpt from the minutes of the 1st September 1913 meeting, "the most suitable and convenient spot (for a Reading Room) would be the North East corner of the 'club' field" (2) Victoria County History.ac.uk and TimberscombeVillage.com (3) the 1911 England Census and TimberscombeVillage.com (4) Master Search, The Genealogist and the Timberscombe School LOG BOOK, 3 April 1910-25 March 1947 (5) TIMBERSCOMBE 1910 LIST OF RESIDENTS, minehead-online.co.uk (6) Master Search, The Genealogist (7) the 1901 and the 1911 England Census (8) The 1911 England Census (9) TIMBERSCOMBE 1910 LIST OF RESIDENTS (10) Kelly's Directory 0f Somerset, 1919 and TimberscombeVillage.com (11) Timberscombe School LOG BOOK (12) as recalled by Maurice Huxtable of Ye Olde Malthouse, Timberscombe (and a student at Timberscombe School at this time), Timberscombe School ADMISSION REGISTER, 18 July 1944-3 September 1912, No. 659 and "50 Years Ago", West Somerset Free Press, Friday, February 18th 1994 (13) the 15th of February 1944 entry by Mrs. Kathleen A. Willis, Head Teacher, in the Timberscombe School LOG BOOK (14) Historic Environment Record, MSO10261, Exmoor National Park (15) VCH (16) HER, MEM24590 (17) The Timberscombe Tithe Map of 1843 (18) Kelly's Directory of Somerset, 1919 (19) as recalled in 2020 by Joy Booth of The Knapp and a lifelong resident of Timberscombe (20) "Secure the shadow: Somerset Photographers 1839- 1939, By Robin Ansell, Allan Collier and Phil Nichols, The Somerset and Dorset Family History Society, 2018 (21) Somerset, England, Marriage Registers, Bond and Allegations, 1754-1914 and 1911 England Census (22) Somerset, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1914 (23) Timberscombe School LOG BOOK and Timberscombe School ADMISSION REGISTER, 1897-1944, Nos. 313 and 335
Storage Location
St. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2020
Storage Notes
St. Petrock's History Group PHOTOGRAPHS
St. Petrock's History Group VILLAGE HISTORIES
St. Petrock's History Group VILLAGE HISTORIES
Item Reference
SP-065
Technique
Copy
Citation
possibly Herbert John (Bert) Hole, “The Former Reading Room at Timberscombe,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed May 13, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3172.
Comments