A Winchester Museum - Trust Annual Report 1965
A proposal has been put forward in the City Council for building a new Museum in St. Thomas Street, on a site owned by the City. The proposal to add to this by demolishing nearby properties has fortunately been abandoned.
While supporting the proposal to have a larger museum in Winchester, the Trust would like to see the proposed museum in the Guildhall area. It might well occupy what used to be the Art School and is now the City Treasurer's Office. It is proposed to build new City offices on the South side of the Guildhall area, and this would enable the old Art School to be used as a museum. It has large suitable rooms and is ideally situated close to a Car Park, the Cathedral, the Wessex Hotel, Bus Station and main shopping centre. The site in St. Thomas Street has none of these advantages. It would be far less costly than a new building, and would be a great help in providing better accommodation for the City offices.
The old Art School is a building which has not been much noticed of late, but it is a good example of its period, and in the view of some authorities, is very much better than the Guildhall. As a museum it would be preserved in acceptable form, maintaining the present character of the High Street.
Alternatively if a site could be found in the area of re-development for the new law courts, this would seem to be well sited near the Westgate and Great Hall.