Newarke Houses 70th Anniversary

A greatly expanded Newarke Houses Museum reopened with a celeration event on the 26th May 1953. The museum had been under extensive repair for the previous four years and when it reopened, the larger museum now included exhibitions on the first floor.

People in historic dress at the opening of Newarke House in 1953. Leicestershire Record Office.

Newarke Houses was re-opened by the Alderman C.R Keene with lots of fanfare. Opening day events included the ‘Procession of Historic Transport’ which travelled from Granville Road, past London Road, Town Hall and the Clock Tower, ended up at Newarke Houses. In the Leicester Evening Mail, 15th May 1953, the re-opening of the museum (and opening of Castle View Garden) as well as the transport procession is listed as part of the Coronation Events that were taking part in Leicester at the time.

Crowds gather by the front gates of Newarke House, 1953. Leicestershire Record Office.

Before it's large expansion the museum had first opened as a much smaller venue on the 23rd July 1940. Despite it's smaller size, a variety of exhibitions were held throughout the years before the expansion. This includes a certain “panels of early 16th century glass which illustrates the story of the birth of Christ … probably made for Roger Wyggeston”, which is mentioned in the Leicester Evening Mail, 3rd December 1949.

You can still enjoy the Wyggeston glass panels today at Newarke Houses alongside their social history exhibitions, The Leicestershire Regimental collections and the latest temporary exhibition Play Time!