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by Hugh Pihlens

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You are in [Places] [Charnham Street Properties] [2 Charnham Street]

Summary:

Earliest records:
Date of building:
Listed: Grade II
Known as "The Cottage", 2 Charnham Street.

Thumbnail History:

Originally the stables for The Tannery, 1 Charnham Street. Now residential.

Description of property

From Listed Building records: Stables, now cottage. Early C19. Tiled roof, central chimney painted render on brick, brick dentil course to eaves, 2 flat headed dormer. One storey and attic. 6 panel door with fanlight to left, 2 glazing bar sashes with cambered heads to right.

Timeline:

The cottage was probably built as a wood framed, single story building. A surveyor suggests that originally it may have had a thatched roof.

There is a large beam upstairs in the Fire Place next door carved with the initials J.W.1749. It corresponds with the beams that we uncovered in the cottage when it was renovated, could it be that John Westall had the cottage built for him or by him?

We feel that part of the cottage was demolished to make way for the construction of the Fire Station in 1890. It would be interesting to find out more.

The following names taken from the deeds and documents that I have read, may have been tenants in the cottage:
- 1783 Phoebe Hughes
- 1817 Henry Robes
- 1825 William Toms
- 1825 William Harming
- 1886 Henry Bryant
- 1907 Thomas New
- 1912 Hugh Manning Vyall
- 1922 Mr Brooks
- 1946 4th April Dr.Robert James sells the cottage to Mr Reginald John Wells, a caterer from Newbury. The various occupiers of Riverside House had owned the cottage for nearly 200 years. Mr Wells pays £400 to Dr.James.


		With thanks to Joan & Geoffrey Archer, who researched Riverside & The Cottage, 2 Charnham Street in 2001.



	Charnham Street, showing 2 Charnham Street on right, c1912



Plan of property, 4th April 1946

- 1948 28th April: William Stephan Barnes, who was a boot and shoe repairer, buys the cottage for £1,250. He lived there with his wife Gertrude and their only daughter Mary (Cis). Their daughter Mary married Robert "Bob" Norris, and they move into the cottage. They also had a lodger, who was a chef called Mr.Hudnott. He lived there from 1974 until 1982.
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In 1968, the Fire Station next door closes and moves to its new premises in Church Street.

The Wesleyan Chapel opposite the cottage was demolished in 1971 and Chapel Court was built.

William Barnes died on the 19th November 1983; he left everything to his wife Gertrude.

In 1984, the Cottage was listed Grade II.

Gertrude Barnes died on the 4th February 1993, and her daughter Mary Norris inherited the property.

In 1995, we bought the cottage and after many months and a lot of hard work, we moved in. We opened up fireplaces, discovered beams, even a doorway. After working on the inside we turned our attention to the garden, it was a labour of love.

In 1998 The stables next door were converted and refurbished to a four bedroom cottage which was sold in 1999, to Mrs Y Belton.

The coach house was then refurbished and sold for residential use.

With thanks to Joan and Geoffrey Archer.

See also:
- 1 Charnham Street, Riverside

Updated: 23.6.2010