No more weddings at The Bury: The end of an era

The Bury, in Queensway, has been the town’s register office since 1969, and around 190 wedding ceremonies are held there each year.

But come December, the service will move into new civic centre The Forum on the Marlowes, meaning couples tying the knot will say ‘I do’ in the new, modern building.

The Bury is a Grade II listed Georgian house built in 1790 by William Ginger, a local attorney.

The Grover family, who were bankers and politicians, lived there until the early 19th century and it continued to be a private residence until it was bought by the New Towns Commission.

As first reported by The Gazette four years ago, the attractive Georgian property has been highlighted as a potential site for the Dacorum Museum and Art Gallery.

There has been little movement on these plans – until now.

A spokesman for Dacorum Borough Council, which owns The Bury, said: “We will be considering several options for the reuse of the building.

“A museum is something we want to pursue if funding can be secured.”

A survey carried out by the Dacorum Heritage Trust in 2014 found that 96 per cent of people would like a museum in their local area, and 94 per cent believe that The Bury is a perfect location for such an attraction.

The survey found people in Dacorum were keen to see regular lectures, talks and changing exhibitions, guided tours, film evenings, themed days for school children and emphasis on the area’s rich ties with the paper-making industry.

Pick up a copy of next week’s Gazette for a more on this story.