In 1871 James Boorne, a senior partner at biscuit-tin-makers Huntley, Boorne & Stevens, bought this building and lived in it with his family and servants for 26 years.

 

Then, in 1897 a group of businessmen who met regularly at a local alehouse got together and decided to form a club – a comfortable and safe place for local people to come and enjoy the facilities. Being socially minded was key to their vision. They came up with a basic set of rules and each donated money to cover the cost of registering, setting up and advertising their friendly society. They also leased this building from its owner, Sydney Robert Newberry.

 

They named it The Salisbury Club after then prime minister Lord Salisbury. Later, the club joined the Association of Conservative Clubs (ACC), which affiliated it to 935 other clubs throughout the country, and became known as The Salisbury Conservative Club.

 

The most famous visitor to the club was Sir Winston Churchill, who was invited in for refreshment when his car broke down right outside in the spring of 1915.

 

In April 1940 Sydney Newberry offered the club the opportunity to buy the building outright for £1,550 (equivalent to £87,340 in 2020). The club agreed and paid a £100 deposit, clearing the remainder of the debt by 1945.

 

During World Wars I and II, the military temporarily took over the club, billeting soldiers here, among other things.

 

In 2018, the club, which is owned by its members, became The Salisbury C. Social Club. It is run by a management committee (President, Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Assistant Secretary and nine committee members), elected annually by the club’s members, and there are three trustees. The Club Steward handles the day-to-day running of the club under the guidance of the Club Secretary and the Treasurer.

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