Description

HENLEY ON THAMES

696/1/121 THAMESIDE
25-JAN-51 (West side)
10
THE OLD GRANARY

(Formerly listed as:
FRIDAY STREET
73
BARN COTTAGE)
(Formerly listed as:
THAMESIDE
10
THE OLD GRANARY)

GV II

Also Known As: BARN COTTAGE, 73, FRIDAY STREET
Two cottages, originally probably merchants' offices and warehousing, now a single house; mid-C16 (the Old Granary has been dated by dendrochronology to 1549) with later alterations and major renovation in 1925.

MATERIALS: Timber frame, with ground-floor walls rebuilt in brick and flint, and brick and plaster infill panels to first floor; plain clay tile roof.

PLAN: The Old Granary is of two storeys and three and a half bays, and was once probably divided vertically into three units, two of a single bay and one of one and a half bays. Barn Cottage is of two storeys and three bays, originally with a large two-bay chamber on the ground floor, a smaller room in the western bay and three separate rooms above. Existing internal walls and stairs date from the 1920s remodelling, as does brick stack on dividing wall between the two cottages. Connecting doorway formed on ground floor next to stack.

EXTERIOR: The Old Granary faces east towards the riverfront. Ground floor to Thameside is walled in Tudor-type brick on a flint base, with later brick corbelling beneath jetty; central doorway, plus former cart entrance to right infilled with later brick. To left, original south-east corner of building is marked by stone quoins. Rear ground floor is of brick, with porch extension marking former cart entrance. Jettied first floor has exposed box framing with short braces to both front and rear.

Barn Cottage is built at 90 degrees to the Old Granary, at the corner of Thameside and Friday Street. Ground floor, with two doorways to Friday Street, is walled in brick and flint apart from recessed section to left which is wholly of modern brick. First floor is jettied to both Friday Street and Thameside, and has framing similar to that of Old Granary with a mixture of brick and plaster infill.

INTERIORS: Ceiling structure in Old Granary is formed of three massive transverse beams, spanned by axial beams which in turn support joists; except in the northern bay all these members have chamfers and run-out stops. Transverse beams display empty stud and brace slots indicating original partitions. Ceiling in half-bay, much altered for insertion of stack and fireplace, has two trimmer beams supporting short joists, with evidence of possible former access hatch to first floor. Roof structure partly exposed beneath modern ceiling, with curved wind-braces between purlins and principals. Trusses closed above tie-beams by means of short vertical and raking struts; empty mortises beneath tie-beams indicate former partitions.

Barn Cottage displays similar internal construction and detailing, except in corner bay which was originally part of a large ground-floor chamber and has a diagonal dragon beam supporting the double jetty. Framing of western wall removed at first-floor level, exposing end wall of Friday Cottage immediately behind.

HISTORY: The Old Granary has been dated by dendrochronology to 1549. The adjoining Barn Cottage was built at around the same time, possibly as part of the same structure. The buildings' original use probably related to the river trade, with offices and accommodation below and a series of storage units above. In the late C18 Barn Cottage is documented as having served as a granary. By the early C20 the buildings were largely given over to storage and had become dilapidated. They were saved from demolition in 1925 by Lady Burke, who had them converted into two cottages; in recent years these have been united as a single dwelling.

SOURCES: Ruth Gibson, report for the Henley Archaeological and Historical Group (2010).
D W H Miles, report for Oxford Dendrochronology Laboratory (2008).

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The Old Granary and Barn Cottage are listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural: two well-preserved vernacular buildings of the mid-C16, with extensive survival of original timber framing;
* Historical: connection with Henley's important river trade;
* Group value: with Old Timbers and Friday Cottage (Nos. 67-9 and 71 Friday Street) and other listed houses on Friday Street and Thameside.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26579541

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)