Abstract: |
The earliest large scale map of the area, the 1840 Tithe Map, indicated that a structure was present at that time on the site of the butcher's shop. Although the documentary evidence was far from conclusive, it suggested a date of around 1805 for the first development of the site, with a workshop, stable or cellar being built by Matthias Symons on what had been a herb garden. Neither the documentary search, nor the site visit provided any evidence of a building on the site prior to the early 19th century. The cartographic evidence indicated that the site of the extension had been used as a garden until the middle of the 20th century. No. 5 Sunbury Road appeared to result from the conversion of one of the other buildings by Maria Milman at a date between 1834 and 1878. Only the 1917 plan indicated that the building, which occupied the site and became the butcher's shop, was then a store when it was sold, along with what became No. 5 and the garden adjoining it to the south. Neither the rate books nor the 1910 valuation mentioned the store's existence. The presence of a blocked doorway within the north wall of the building was consistent with the documentary evidence and indicated that the present building once formed part of the adjacent property to the north; No. 5. There was no indication that the site had ever been part of a high status property which might have had significant garden features. The fabric forming the frontage of the site, along a historic route way, had been substantially altered with the building of the cold store, but the mud bonded section of the butcher's shop was also present at its rear, and may well have been early 19th century in date. The southern boundary of the site became a property boundary in 1834. The wall may have been in existence well before then and separated the Tapleys' orchard from one of the herb gardens. The eastern boundary at the southern end may have followed a division first shown on the 1906 map, but the low wall formed a dog-leg to its north which had not been located on any map prior to 1954. Although no evidence had been found which indicated that the current building represented a direct replacement of an earlier, post-medieval property, the possibility that the site was occupied during the medieval period could not be excluded. The potential for the preservation of any such evidence (building remains, rubbish pits etc.) would have been enhanced by the use of the site until recently as a garden, although some deposits were likely to have been removed by excavations for services, and the walls and floor of the cold store. [Au(adp)] |