Newbury's Industrial History
Over 600 years of cloth manufacturing and marine engineering on this historic site
Historically the site has been home to small and large-scale industries extending over at least 600 years and including cloth and marine iron works.
The site currently occupied by the Kennet Shopping Centre (since 1974) has always been an important part of the history of Newbury. As early as the 15th century this site was renowned across Europe for the production and manufacture of high quality twill-backed cloths. From 1465 to 1533, the Winchcombe family were known as clothiers par excellence, with their clothing being highly sought after all across Europe. Of particular note was the manufacture of 'Kerseys', 1 yard by 16 yard pieces of fabric dyed in rich tones using woad, a yellow flowered plant grown in Britain that produced high quality dye.
Plenty's Eagle Iron Works
Towards the end of the 18th century, the centre of Newbury enjoyed a more industrial heritage. This site became Plenty's Eagle Iron Works, an engineering works founded by William Plenty who went on to design and build steam engines and boilers for ships across the world, including the Royal Navy, and lifeboats for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
One can see from the historical map the large works in the centre of the site and the smaller narrower plots that formed the remainder of the site.
The next major change to the site occurred between 1960 and 1982 when the Kennet Shopping Centre was conceived, designed and developed, effectively clearing away much of the historical grain and character from this site.