Images from a Historic Building Recording at The Oak, 279 South Street, Romford, November 2019
Allen Archaeology, 2023. https://doi.org/10.5284/1103151. How to cite using this DOI
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- ADS Collection: 5065
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1103151
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction
This digital archive contains images from a Level 3 historic building recording and a heritage statement, as a condition of planning consent for residential development The Oak, 279 South Street, Romford, RM1 2BB. Allen Archaeology Limited was commissioned to undertake this work. The Old Oak Tavern was built in 1868 – 9 as part of a scheme of residential development along Brentwood Road and South Street. It is a locally listed building. The survey was undertaken over two days; 28th and 29th of November 2019.
The historical building recording recognised three broad phases of development, spanning the late mid-19th century to the 20th century. The L-shaped multi-story Old Oak Tavern was constructed between 1868 and 1869, which pushes back the locally listed entry by five years. A Mr Horne who also built adjacent houses originally built the tavern comprising various parlours with living accommodations above. He had planned for its construction on the end of a row of houses in the prominent position of the junction between Hornchurch Road and Brentwood Road. It expanded slightly beyond the three and two storey structures during phase II and prior to 1896, with a detached annex to the east and an added single storey and flat roofed northeast extension, accommodating another fireplace for a possible parlour or kitchen. The final and third phase during the 20th century saw toilet blocks added between 1939 and post 1963.
The historical building survey has allowed the structure to be preserved by record. The proposed development will allow for the main structures best identified as the pub, to remain, retaining most of the exterior historical fabric of the two and three story structures. Later extensions will be removed. Almost all existing historical features of the interior will be masked and the plan and historical use as a pub will be removed to accommodate new flats with associated extensions, to the rear. As such, the development has a high impact on the historical fabric and plan regarding the interior of the structure. This impact may be acceptable as to not lose the entire structure to neglect followed by the cold climate of the current pub market. The building survey has identified three main phases of development.It has allowed for a permanent record to be created of the standing historic structures of the Oak and associated annex, prior to any alterations. The survey has mitigated the impact of the proposed development.
