The only parts of the Gasworks remaining are the coal store, used as a garage, immediately on the right, and the meter room in front of you. The gasworks was one of the benefits that resulted from An Act for Paving the Footways, and for Cleansing, Lighting, and Regulating the Streets, and other public passages and places within the Borough of Malmesbury, in the County of Wilts; and the Avenues leading into the same; and for Removing and Preventing Nuisances, Annoyances, and Obstructions therein, 1798 sponsored by the Corporation. Improvement Commissioners collected 'Poor Law Rates' of 6d. in the pound from all householders in the Borough and collected Sunday tolls at all the turnpike gates levied on animals coming to and from the town except for those taking people to church. They started a drainage network, arranged for cleansing of the streets and laid pavements. One interesting Clause in the Act reads; That all Persons inhabiting within the said Borough, shall, from and after the passing of this Act, sweep, scrape, and clean the Footways before their respective Houses, Buildings, Walls, and Premises.....on every Saturday ...
Perhaps this needs to be re-enacted!
In 1836 the Commissioners encouraged the formation of the Malmesbury Gas & Coke Company and began to erect gas streetlights, often outside Commissioner's premises! The public supply of gas had only begun 25 years before in London with the first provincial scheme beginning in 1816 so once again the town were pioneers of new technology. Latterly there were three coke ovens to produce the gas which was stored in two gasometers. Pressure was maintained by placing lead weights on top of a small tank in the meter room. The Company was taken over by the South Western Gas Corporation whose offer was recommended for acceptance by the Committee of Management on lst November 1934. In the mid 1950s the coke ovens closed and town gas was piped from Gloucester. The introduction of natural gas that began in the late 1960s led to the gasometers being demolished.
Source: Charles Vernon
