West Memorial Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids West Memorial Hall |
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View from the north
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| General information | |
| Location | Caversham, Berkshire, UK |
| Coordinates | 51°28′02″N 0°58′18″W / 51.46716°N 0.97158°W |
| Completed | 1865-66 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Alfred Waterhouse |
The West Memorial Hall is a cool old building in Caversham, Berkshire. It was built a long time ago, in the Victorian era. A famous architect named Alfred Waterhouse designed it. This building used to be a church for Baptists. Now, it has been changed into apartments where people live. It's also a special "Grade II listed building," which means it's important and protected.
Building Style and Features
The West Memorial Hall was designed by Alfred Waterhouse in 1865-1866. He used a style called Gothic. This style often looks like old castles or churches. The building is made of red bricks. It also has cool blue bricks used for decoration. You can see these blue bricks in stripes above and below a big round window. They also make a fun red and blue pattern above the ground floor windows.
The Hall has a unique tower-like part for stairs. This part is rectangular and leads up to a balcony inside. On the outside walls, you can spot "Flying buttresses." These are special supports that help hold up the walls.
In 1911, the Hall got bigger. A new part was added on the east side. It was built to match the original building's style. This new section also has a central pointed roof facing the road. It even has a small decorative cross on top, just like the older part.
Cool Details of the Hall
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Flying buttresses on the side of the Hall. They help support the walls.
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Look closely at the brickwork! Red and blue bricks make a neat pattern.
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This is a fancy iron design from the part added in 1911.
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The part added in 1911 looks just like the original building.
History of the Hall
The West Memorial Hall was the very first Baptist church in Caversham. Most of the money to build it came from a kind man named Reverend Ebenezer West. He was the head of a school called Amersham Hall. Reverend West also helped pay for a new, bigger church ten years later. That new church, also designed by Waterhouse, is right across the street.
After the new church opened, the Memorial Hall became a school. In 1911, it was expanded. The idea was to create places for young men in Caversham to have fun and learn good values. It also made more space for Sunday religious classes.
The Hall became a "Grade II listed building" in 1978. This means it's a really important building for the country. It needs to be protected because of its special history and design. From 1980, the Hall was used as the Caversham Dance Centre.
Around the year 2000, the Hall was changed into apartments. It's now known as The Waterhouse. In 2010, there was a plan to build more apartments next door. But the local council said no. They felt the new plan didn't fit well with the historic West Memorial Hall.
See also
