Shops & Businesses in the Market Place (more)

More photographs and information about the shops and other businesses in Faringdon Market Place. The photographs of premises shown here have been scanned in from the original photographs given to the Society over the years and stored in the Society’s archives. The numbers given for each property mentioned correspond as accurately as possible to the postal addresses and are shown on the adjacent map.

An occupational history of each premises, as far as is known, can be found on the ‘Shops & Businesses in the Market Place‘ page. There is also a ‘Market Place Street Views‘ page that contains general information about the Market Place and may contain further details on the premises shown in the photographs, and a page specifically about ‘Faringdon Market‘.

Faringdon Market Place in the 1900s

1912 & 1970s – #16. The Anns family had been, since at least 1824, ironmongers, gun retailers and repairers in London Street. At the arrival of the car in the early 1900s, they set up a garage at #16 Market Place, next to Pocock’s Corner. Following this they bought Mr Newman’s blacksmiths shop #22 across the road (see below). Left to right Harry Robins, head mechanic; Edgar Argent, apprentice. It became Tuckers Greengrocer, then between 1950s-1970s the shop was split into two, with Langham’s (greengrocers) on the left and Hobbs & Chambers (estate agents) to the right.

c1920, 1960s & 1970s – #18 Mr Harry Abel outside his watchmaker and jewellery shop. Abel Bros had owned a shop in the Market Place from at least 1877. It was taken over by Leverton & Sons who also had a radio & TV shop up the road in the Cornmarket. During the 1970s it became Deacon & Sons. It remained a jewellers’ shop throughout and the frontage has remained largely unchanged until its closure in 2018. It has now been vacant for some time.

Possibly 1940-70s. On the left is #18, which was Leverton’s Jewellers at this time. Next door is the original frontage of #19 Market Place, which at this time was occupied by Ferguson’s Wine & Spirit Merchants. The building was originally part of Eagle Brewery, which was run by various companies –  Fairthorne & Co. were there in the 1890s and W.G.Phillips & Sons in the early 1900s.  In 1963 the frontage was extensively damaged when an articulated lorry went out of control and hit the building. Customers had to be served through a window as the doorway had to be boarded up as it was in danger of collapsing. The building appears to be an early 17th C. barn-type construction with an early window in the east gable covered by the jeweller’s premises. Also, as the roof of the jeweller’s shop rests on a tree trunk inserted into the east gable wall, it is likely that it is of a later period.

c1970s – #17 Ballard & Co (chemists) 1949-70s, now Boots. #18 Deacon & Sons (jewellers). Next door, the rather old Ferguson’s building at #19 shown above has now been renovated and taken over by ‘Togs & Toys’. By 2000 it was split into two smaller shops – ‘Mustard Seed’ and ‘Rob the Cheese’.

1940’s. Across the junction with Marlborough Street. #21 The International Stores in the Narrows after moving from #4 Corn Market.

c1908 – On the left is #22, dated 1645, then run by Joseph Newman, blacksmith, who had been here from at least 1877. His forge was at the rear of the house and horses had to be taken through the passageway on the right. On the right is #23 Taylor’s, a greengrocer’s, and a member of the fishmonger and butcher family. The large board, by the window, is covered in photographs taken by Mr E. Haworth of Gloucester Street, Faringdon’s leading photographer. The door on the right has a harness maker’s sign over it.

1913. On the left, standing under the gas street lamps are two ladies window shopping at F.W. Creese’s drapery. On the corner is the large bell hanging outside the Bell Hotel. Across the start of Southampton Street is Pocock’s Corner (tailors). Next is #22 Anns’ Garage. This photo was taken just after it had been demolished and rebuilt as a garage by the Anns family in 1912. It became a newsagents in the late 1960s or early 1970s, and has been under four different names since then. The Market Hall in the centre had become the Ambulance & Fire Station at this time. On the far right is part of the Old Crown Coaching Inn.

First photo, early 1930s – #23 now taken over by R.A. Robey, who sold vegetables and dairy produce. The shop was taken over by Jane’s Pantry during WWII and stayed until the 1960s. Next door, #24 with the awning was built in the 1600’s, occupant unknown. Second photo c1970 – #24 Burgess (saddler). Last two photos above 1995 & 2000 – #23 became Restaurante Franco, Herbs Restaurant, then Sadlers Catering since around 2014 and #24 became S&J.M Cooper (Sadler) until 2003. It has now been The Sadlers (coffee shop/curiosities) since around 2014. Next door is The Old Crown Coaching Inn as it is now called.

1994 The Crown Hotel a Grade 2 listed, 16C coaching inn, re-fronted in Georgian times. This was the chief inn in Faringdon as far back as 1681. Then as we round the corner and head up Church Street there is the Portwell House Hotel, and Camden House. Compare the architecture with the buildings on the opposite side of the street shown in the first photo at top of this page.