Yeovil's Virtual Museum

king george street

The 'new' road linking High Street and South Street

 

King George Street, named after George V, was constructed between High Street and South Street, in the early 1920's, just east of George Court - an alley so-named because it originally ran behind the George Inn in High Street (not to be confused with the later-named George Inn in Middle Street). Initially only municipal offices were constructed along the western side of the new King George Street and opened in 1928, meaning they ran alongside the Town Hall in High Street.

The municipal offices were designed and built by local architects Petter and Warren. The building is Neo-Georgian, of fifteen bays width and two storeys with a cupola. Unfortunately the Town Hall and most of the Market House was destroyed by fire in 1935 and the only part of it remaining is a small portion of wall behind Borough Arcade.

A municipal museum was created above the Borough Library at the southern end of the new municipal buildings, chiefly in order to display the Roman finds from the Westland Roman Villa site, including the mosaic floor. The library was replaced by a new, purpose-built building in 1986 on the southeast corner of King George Street.

The buildings on the eastern side of King George Street were not opened until 1932 and were all initially occupied by the Post Office. Barclays Bank took over part of this building in 1965.

 

 

This advertisement, for the sale of the land in King George Street currently occupied by the Post Office and Barclay's Bank, appeared in the catalogue of the 1927 Yeovil Industries Fair. The fair itself was held on the site - essentially the left half of the following photograph.

 

From the Stiby Collection (colourised), Courtesy of South Somerset Heritage Collection

The foundation stone of the new municipal offices is laid on 19 July 1926 by the Mayor of Yeovil, Alderman Percy Petter. Photograph by former Mayor, Henry Stiby.

 

The foundation stone, photographed in 2016.

 

Courtesy of Betty Barber (née Bird)

Crowds gather on 7 June 1928 for the official opening of the Municipal Offices in King George Street. This photograph looks along King George Street to the Newnam Memorial Hall in South Street. The Municipal Offices are just glimpsed at the very top right of the photograph. The left half of this photo would become the site of the Post Office building (now Barclay's Bank) in 1932.

 

The official programme for the opening of the new Municipal Buildings on 7 June 1928.

 

A 1928 aerial photograph of King George Street with South Street at left and High Street at right. Note that at this time only the municipal offices at centre, on the western side of the road, had been built. The post office building on the eastern side of the road would not open until 1932.

 

So who remembers Barclay's Bank being on the corner of King George Street? as seen in this colourised photograph of High Street taken in 1931.

 

From my collection. This image features in my book 'Yeovil - The Postcard Collection'.

A postcard of King George Street, taken from High Street and looking towards South Street. Although you can't see it in this image, the car's registration is YO6938 - dating this postcard to around 1932 - just after the buildings on the left were opened.

 

King George Street in a colourised photograph of around 1935. By this time the post office building, running the length of the new street, had been open for about three years.

 

From my collection

This colourised photograph, by H Harvey of Yeovil, dates to between the mid-1940s and the mid-1950s. At this time the ground floor corner was occupied by Barclays Bank and the shop next door (later Tilzey's camera shop) was occupied by Douglas Cant, the newsagent. Cant would later occupy the corner premises.

 

Taken from King George Street, this colourised photograph of the early 1960s (in the days when Clement White's clock actually worked) shows High Street with Gamis' store and the Deposit Bank building when it was Lennard's shop with Pearl Assurance offices over.

 

And looking the other way from the same position, the view from King George Street to High Street and the Borough, in a colourised photograph of the mid-1960s.

 

From my collection

King George Street, photographed from South Street, in a postcard sent in 1952.

 

From the Cave Collection (colourised), Courtesy of South Somerset Heritage Collection

Photographed in the 1960s, this was the museum in the municipal offices in King George Street. When I knew it in the late 1970s, this room housed the council's engineer's drawing office. The room was on the first floor, at the southern (South Street) end of the building.

 

A colourised photograph taken the same time as the previous photograph of the museum, beneath it on the ground floor was the library.

 

Looking down King George Street from High Street in a colourised photograph of the 1960s. At the far end is the Newnam Hall.

 

Courtesy of Chris Rendell

King George Street seen, with cars and the pedestrian crossing, from the Borough in 1985. At this time the council had left the municipal offices which were up for sale - the 'For Sale' sign is just visible above the first parked car.

 

Courtesy of Jack Sweet

A late 1960's photograph of the southern end of the municipal buildings which, at the time, housed the library. The Portakabin seen at left housed the children's library at the end seen in the photo and more council offices, including mine, in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

 

From my collection. This image features in my book 'Yeovil - The Postcard Collection'.

A 1980's postcard of King George Street - just how I remember it when I worked in the Municipal Offices during the 1970s and 1980s.

 

From my collection

Another 1970's postcard of King George Street but looking south towards South Street.

 

There was a fair bit of snow in February 1978.

 

Courtesy of the Western Gazette

King George Street photographed in 1985. At this time my office window was the central one on the ground floor of the municipal offices at left - now the doorway to the Halifax.

 

The rear of the municipal offices in King George Street, boarded up and awaiting the building of the new library that will wrap around the end of this building. Photographed in 1985.

 

Courtesy of Rob Baker

The steel frame of the new library on the corner of King George Street and South Street takes shape. Photographed in 1985.

 

Courtesy of Rob Baker

The steel frame viewed from South Street. Photographed in 1985.

 

This photograph features in my book "Yeovil In 50 Buildings"

The main entrance in the King George Street elevation of the new library. Photographed 2017.

 

Photograph by Trevor Hussey, courtesy of Mrs Anne Hussey

Photographed in 1990.

 

This photograph features in my book "Yeovil In 50 Buildings"

The municipal offices, now the Halifax, in King George Street photographed in 2017. The same number of vehicles as the 1935 photo above despite it now being pedestrianised.

 

This photograph features in my book "A-Z of Yeovil"

The Post Office and Barclays bank on the eastern side of King George Street, photographed in 2013. Originally the whole of the new building was used by the Post Office and opened in 1932.

 

The new library takes shape on the corner of King George Street and South Street in 1988.

 

The library photographed in 2016.