Wednesday, April 02, 2014

Melton Carnegie Museum and St John's Church


Two buildings face one another across Thorpe End in Melton Mowbray. On the south side of the road stands the town's museum.

It is called Melton Carnegie Museum because the building, which used to house the town's library, was paid for by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. I have photographed Carnegie libraries in King's Lynn and Loughborough.

The displays, inevitably, are largely devoted to agriculture and fox hunting, but at least hunt saboteurs have been given a glass case of their own.

Across the road stands the Roman Catholic St John's Church, which Pugin had a hand in designing. Quite how much of a hand is disputed; a pamphlet by Frances Levett makes the boldest claims.

On first sight St John's looks plain - in fact I originally took it for a Noncomformist chapel. But a little study of the exterior rewards you with more and more interesting little details.


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