Category: Literary And Scientific Institution

8 – 12 Market Place, Warminster

Adrian Phillips, in the book The Warminster Trail, compiled for the Warminster Festival 1989, and published by Aris & Phillips Ltd., wrote:

The building on the corner opposite the Town Hall, Nos.8-12 [Market Place] was built in the neo-Elizabethan style in 1830 as the Warminster Literary and Scientific Institution.

Like the Athenaeum, the previous building was, as you may have guessed, a pub and served much the same purpose as the later Athenaeum with a reading room, library, museum and so forth.

This pub theme is not surprising as Warminster was in the 18th century notorious for its number of pubs; over 100 names have been recorded. With its malthouses and breweries it had the reputation of being the most drunken town in Wiltshire.

The Literary Institution was split up in the late 19th century and houses several businesses and offices today.

The Literary & Scientific Institute, Warminster

Extract from The Changing Face Of Warminster by Wilfred Middlebrook, published in 1971:

Here we are tempted to turn down Weymouth Street for a further exploration, but will instead proceed along the Market Place on this south side and return along the north side. The Literary Institution no longer exists as such, though the fine building remains to match the Town Hall on the Weymouth Street corner. For many years the British Legion Club used the upper floors, but for some years now it has been occupied by the Ministry Of Labour And Pensions.

The frontage of the Literary Institute is at present occupied by a firm of estate agents and auctioneers. Thirty years or so ago it was the offices of Wakeman And Son, solicitors. The major part of the building, with the entrance round the corner in Weymouth Street, was for many years the British Legion Club. During the last War, air raid wardens held their meetings and discussions here.