the site – Building for a New Future
The Art Gallery & Museum currently occupies a series of buildings which are located between Clarence Street and Chester Walk. In addition to the occupied buildings, the site also includes an open inner courtyard area and some derelict cottages, which face onto Chester Walk.
The majority of the galleries are located on the top floor of the existing main two storey, grade II listed building. Additional gallery space is provided at the ground, first and second floor levels of the 1989 extension, which also provides the Museum with its main entrance from Clarence Street. The main building was originally built in 1889 by architects Knight and Chatters, as a Library with separate schools of art and science on the top floor. This upper floor was later converted in 1907 to produce a space for the town Museum. The major part of the ground floor is still used as the Cheltenham Central Library.
Until the 1980s, the Art Gallery occupied an adjacent single storey building, now the site of the 1989 extension. This 1989 extension was designed by the Borough Architect, with Sir Hugh Casson acting as advisory architect for the design of the façade. The front stained glass window was designed and made by Chinks Grylls, and the entrance ironwork sculpture – above the door – by Alan Evans.
The other buildings occupied by the Museum are No’s. 51, 53 and 55 Clarence Street. These contain various workshops, non-public support and valuable storage facilities. No’s. 55 and 53 are on three and one storey respectively. No. 51 is a four-storey stucco building, which is grade II listed, primarily for its architectural and historic interest, as well as forming part of a larger terrace of buildings. This building has been altered and added to over the years and has little of the original interior. To the rear on Chester Walk, are two derelict cottages and a low yard wall, which form the rear of the site.
All of these buildings are in the ownership of Cheltenham Borough Council, which administers and funds the Art Gallery & Museum service. The Library service, which is separately controlled and funded by Gloucestershire County Council, is effectively a tenant to the Borough Council, occupying the ground floor of the original 1889 building.