Thousands of people have walked through the impressive front entrance of a building in Museum Street, Ipswich, since it was first opened to the public over 160 years ago. The building, which was closed for around fifteen years, has been brought back to life as a restaurant.
Built as Ipswich Museum, opening in December 1847, it stood in the then new street cut through to link Westgate Street with Elm Street. This Victorian structure has seen several uses since the town’s museum moved to new and bigger premises in High Street in July 1881, which was a big day for the town when, with much ceremony, the new lock gates at the dock and the Post Office on the Cornhill were also formally opened.
When Ipswich photographer William Vick published a set of captioned photographic prints in 1890 of ‘Ipswich Past and Present’ he included a photograph of the museum in Museum Street. His caption in Victorian style tells us of when the museum was in the Town Hall. “Various thoughts will arise at this expression in old Ipswich minds. Prior to 1847 this was applicable to a long, dingily lighted, attic kind of place, high up near the clock in the Town Hall, approachable only by a long flight of narrow steps, accessible by a common key “off a nail” in the precincts below, and entered by a mean looking half glass door, in which the then stock of articles of virtue, of rarity, or otherwise deemed valuable, belonging to the Corporation, were exhibited. In 1846, during the mayoralty of George Green Sampson Esq., an effort was made to improve upon the state of things, and a public meeting was held, and a project for establishing a museum set on foot, which resulted in the hiring, for a term of years, of a building in Museum Street; to this the then Corporation transferred all its treasures suitable for it; many valuable additions were kindly added by numerous donors; and the Rev Professor Henslow, whose fostering care was continually present, superintended the arrangements thereof; we have here given a view of the principal room in the building referred to.”
A directory for 1921 lists the building in Museum Street being used by J Noller builder and contractor, Frederick Fisher auctioneer, estate agent and removal contractor and R Payne dancing hall. In 1928 B Bullard electrical contractor was there with the Arlington Rooms and the Arlington Bowling Club. By 1939 Fred Jewhurst confectioner shared the building with The Arlington Bowling Club.
Most people will remember it as the Arlington Ballroom where ballroom dancing lessons were given to thousands when learning to ballroom dance was a ‘must’ for all young people as this was how thousands of couples met their husband or wife to be, until fashions changed in the mid 1960s. As well as lessons there were many dancing competitions and the school won many trophies in national ballroom dancing events.
Ballroom dancing at the Arlington Ballroom in January 1968. The original Victorian balcony is in the background.
Ipswich School of Dancing teacher Rosemary Watson said “Olga Wilmot took over The Arlington Ballroom in Museum Street around 1948. It was then a popular venue with American Servicemen and the locals. Olga operated from there until the business moved to Bond Street in 1991. It is now The Ipswich School of Dancing LLP run by former Arlington teachers Rosemary Watson, Susan Matthews and Jennifer Dix.”
A team of dancers at the Arlington Ballroom in June 1966. Olga Wilmot is in the centre. Olga died in January 2000.
The building was designed by Christopher Fleury who also designed Ipswich School in Henley Road. A promoter of the museum, which was said to be ‘more particularly for the benefit of the working class’ was Rev Professor J Henslow who was Charles Darwins’s tutor at Cambridge. Rev Henslow was keen to educate the working class with free tickets handed out at works and factories to lectures in a time before state education. As the museum outgrew its home it was decided in 1878 to erect a new museum in High Street.
The former ballroom stood empty when the dancing school moved out although part of the ground floor was used for a few years as a fitted kitchen showroom. The link between Museum Street and Elm Street was not made until 1850 when an arch was cut through a building to Thursby’s Lane and the lane was renamed Arcade Street. The rest of the lane to Princes Street was renamed Museum Street.
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Ipswich - The Changing Face of the Town
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