London Street - Faringdon History Website

London Street heads east from the town centre of Faringdon. It is one of the roads that made Faringdon the important five-way road junction of the past. It was once part of the main road (A420) to London via Oxford before the bypass was built in 1979. London Street was referred to in a deed of 1689 and at various times up to the late 18th C. when it changed its name to Bull Street after a public house in the street at #27. By 1881 it was being referred to in a deed as ‘London Street otherwise Bull Street’. An Ordinance Survey map from 1876 shows ‘London Street’ up to the Stanford Road turning then ‘London Road‘ beyond, although the latter does not seem to be used in postal addresses.

See London Street Shops & Businesses for a brief history of occupation.

Also see our house by house tour of London Street in the Year 2000.

See Faringdon Streets for an indexed list of all streets in Faringdon.

Views of London Street in the 1900s

c1895. A Henry Taunt view of London St. Possibly a market day because of the number of people around. The building on the left is the office of Haines the solicitors, now the Cheltenham & Gloucester Building Society. The shop window halfway up on the right is #10 Chamberlain’s grocery shop, beyond is a bow window belonging to #12 Hughes’ the paper shop. The Bell Hotel is on the right-hand edge of the picture then a draper’s shop, owned by Creese & Co. in 1895. Both the latter premises are addressed as being in the Market Place.

A little bit further into the start of London Street, a cycle shop with no visible name at #3 can be seen on the left. It changed owners, amongst which were Yates & Sons, Rogers by 1919, Rigden by 1931, followed by Geary then Huxley. Further up is the sign for the Wheatsheaf Hotel. On the right at #6-8 is an ironmongers with a sign saying they are selling petrol and motor accessories. The Anns family had an ironmongers and gun repair shop here since 1824 and moved to have a garage in the Market Place from about 1900. Right up the street on the right can be seen the sign for the Star Inn.

c1910s. The cycle shop at #3 is according to the sign here run by T. Yates & Sons. Further up the street is #5 the Wheatsheaf Hotel; #11 Jamieson, tailor (later the Electricity Board Showroom); #13 Moyne, ironmonger; #17 Comley, furniture; the junction with Swan Lane; #19 ‘Marlborough’ public house; #21 Obourn, shoe shop and hairdressers. The ironmonger’s #6 on the right is in the occupation of Mr Percy Thomas; this was later taken over by Mr Moyne. During WWII it was a sweet shop called Shenton’ s.

1930s On the left #3 B.Rigden now has the bike shop, then The Wheatsheaf (public house). On the right #4 Luker (newsagent, printer & Faringdon Advertiser producer) until late 1930’s. The shop with three bay windows is #6-8 T.P.Thomas (ironmongers). The shop with the longer bay window and truck outside is #10 Chamberlain & Sons (high-class grocers) since 1910. Its frontage was moved back in 1938.

London Street Lower 3 — **1920s**. Similar photo but earlier when John Rogers was running the cycle shop at #3 on the left. #10 on the right still has the long bay window that was removed back in 1938.

London Street Lower 4 — **1940s**. The cycle shop at #3 on the left is now Huxley’s of Faringdon (toys, cycles, sports). The frontage of #10 on the right went in 1938 and J.Shenton (sweetshop & tobacconist) is now in at #6.

London Street Lower 1978 — **1978.** Looking up London Street from the Market Place a bit nearer. #3 is now 2 shops – Allen & Harris (estate agents) and a travel agents. On the right #4 looks like it is F.B.Wood (newsagents), previously Lukers until the 1930s and then W.H.Smiths. Now a barbers.

London Street Middle Left — **1950/60s**. Looking up past the Wheatsheaf, #7 Boffins (butchers), #9 Sheffords Bakery, #11 Southern Electricity Board, #13-15 Mini Market?.

London Street Middle C1912 — **c1912.** Corner of **Skinners Lane** looking back down London Street. On the right, the railings in front of #11, 13 & 15 suggest they were private houses. The lighter building #17 had 2 doors then. Both buildings #13-17, once Davis DIY in 80/90s is now a Piano Gallery.

London Street Stanford Rd C1910 — **c1910.** London Street from junction of **Stanford Road**. The Folly public house is on the left by the gas lamp. The shop on the corner of Coach Lane on the right, the one with the awning is #77 Eastoe (grocers). It remained a grocers under various owners Greenwood 1926, Bedford 1929 and Blissett 1946. By 1971 it became a private house.

London Street Stanford Rd C1910 2020 — **c1910 + 2020**.Same place, different centuries. Note – TV aerials, telephone and electricity cables to homes, cars and tarmacked road, aeroplane in sky (perhaps), digital photography, world-wide web (Google), etc.

London Street Up — **1990s**. Looking up the lower part of London Street. Blockbuster Video’s postal address is #12 Market Place as is #11 opposite the waste bin.

London Street Down — **1990s**. Looking down the lower part of London Street towards the Market Place. Next to the Wheatsheaf on right are #7 Rainbow Fish & Chips and #9 Sheffords Bakery.

London Street Down2 — **1999.** Looking down the lower part of London Street towards the Market Place.

London Street Down Left2 — **1990s**. Looking down the lower part of London Street towards the Market Place. The Wheatsheaf sign just visible on the right.

London Street 7 11 1995 — **1995**. On the opposite side and a bit further up the road. Next to the Wheatsheaf on right are Boffin & Gill (butchers) and under the awning is Sheffords Bakery. Taken during Festival Week.

London Street 7 11 1990s — **late 1990s**. A bit further back up the road. Next to the Wheatsheaf on right is now Rainbow Fish & Chips (just taken over from Boffin & Gill, butchers), Sheffords Bakery, Southern Electric, and Davis DIY.

London Street Down Left — **1990s**. Further up and looking down towards the Market Place. **Skinners Lane** on left.

London Street 30 24 1994 — **1994**. Looking up London Street towards La Chaise Antiques, with the large circular plaque on wall. It was the Star Inn before the 1980’s. **Skinners Lane** on right at corner shop, **Swan Lane** just visible on left.

Sudbury House C1994 — **1994/95**. **Sudbury House** Hotel & Conference Centre (Grade II Listed) with a view over Faringdon towards Badbury Hill. London Road is on the right. **Highworth Road** runs left to right across the hillside beyond the town.

Reference:

The Changing Faces of Faringdon and Surrounding Villages – Bk1 p19. By Rosemary Church, Jim Brown, Millie Bryan and Beryl Newman. Robert Boyd Publications. Now out of print.

Researched by Ian Lee, April 2019.