Buildings of Worle
Worle Observatory
Orginally the village windmill, constructed to replace the wooden mill that burnt down.
In 1889 plans were drawn up to make it higher and the crestellations were added and became a private Observatory and Tearoom.
During World War 2 it was used by the Home Guard.
Station Road
Photo taken not long before the houses were pulled down.
Worle Laundry (former Brewery)
Worle Laundry on the corner of the High Street and Station Road.
The laundry closed in 1979 after a hundred years of operation.
The Brewery 1795 - 1868.
Now retail units and flats.
Almshouses
The Almshouses were located at the bottom of the Scaurs.
Almshouses were built for the poor, the ones in Worle were built in 1797 - 1934
Methodist Chapel
Known as Ebenezer Hall now Worle Community Centre.
Dating from 1837.
Century Club
The Century Club was designed by the local architect Hans Price.
He also designed the Town Hall, The Mercury Office, Weston Museum and the Kings Head Pub In Worle.
The commemorative stone was laid by Violet Mary Hardwick in 1904 and opened in 1906.
Former Library
Now Sweets and Things.
Building started in April 1969 at the estimated cost of £40,000.
The library moved to Mendip Ave in 2017.
St Marks Church
Built in 1980 Opened 1981.
Vicar Chris Elms joined in 2012.
The Round House
The Very Old Vicarage
Worle High Street
Now occupied by Nigel Groves Funeral Directors
This photograph was taken in 1907.
The 1840 tithe map provides the first evidence for this building. Its plot is is described as ‘Vicarage house, garden and premises.’
At that time it was the home of Rev. Nathaniel Wodehouse, who became vicar of Worle in 1829. The house stood in 5 acres of glebe land.
The Wodehouses left in 1871, following Nathaniel’s death.
Rev. Charles Doherty moved in next for a few years.
In 1875 Rev. William Rose took up residence for over 20 years before moving to the parish of Hutton.
A succession of incumbents followed: Rev. Chas Kent [1896], then Rev. Alfred Cecil Harman [1902] and Rev. Frederick Bentley in 1907.
In all this time very little was done to modernise the living quarters.
Cecil Harman’s son, Lancelot, wrote a book about his father entitled ‘Cheers, Sir’, in which he says of the vicarage at Worle:
“The vicarage apparently didn’t boast a bathroom or indoor lavatory, the only available being at the bottom of the garden”
In 1910 Rev. George Bode and his family moved into the house and remained there until after World War One.
The vicarage was sold at auction on 13th February 1919, It was bought by Mr. Jones of Fairfield House. The coach house, cowshed and tennis courts all disappeared over time.
In 1934 the building was converted into 3 dwellings, known as 1, 2 and 3 Kirklands.
The Malthouse - Photo 1909
Maurice Williams remembered being taken inside it by his late father. He thinks it housed a stair case at the time, which allowed access to different levels. At a guess the date for this memory may be in the 1950s.
The existance of the arched access points/windows suggests that its original purpose was connected with the storage of hops for the brewery.
The building, as far as we can ascertain, was built in the 1790s.
We would be very pleased to hear from anyone who can throw light on the history of the turret.
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