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The Royal Dramatic College The Royal Dramatic College opened at Maybury in 1862 as a home for retired actors. The College closed in 1877 and was disused until 1883 when it was purchased by Dr Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner for his Oriental Institute. He was famous for setting up institutions all over India and as a speaker of many languages. The Institute awarded degrees in languages and other oriental subjects from the University of Lahore. Leitner built a mosque in 1889 next to the Institute for his students. This was the first to be built in Britain and today is a religious centre for the Islamic faith.
The Shah Jehan mosque, Woking Leitner fell ill in Bonn and died on 22 March 1899. This meant the end of the Institute. The building in an altered form later became successively an aircraft factory, and James Walker's Lion Works, being demolished to make way for the Lion Retail Park. |
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Carving depicting Shakespearian scenes The former Royal Dramatic College
One of the two stained glass window formerly in the hall of the Royal Dramatic College, later to become the boardroom of James Walkers, this one depicting Shakespears comodies. The windows were kindly presented by James Walker to Woking Galleries, the future Woking museum and arts and crafts centre. The windows are awaiting use in a new building for Woking Galleries.
The other window depicting Shakespears tragedies |
