A historical record of shops and other businesses in the Market Place, sometimes appearing as Market Street in a postal address. Shops and businesses have flourished here for many generations and premises have changed ownership many times. Some have closed down permanently at some time and have subsequently been converted into private houses, especially those furthest from the town centre.
The dotted line on the map shows the passage of a brook, which once divided Faringdon into the tithings of Port to the east, and Westbrook to the west. It used to be forded at this point but now passes under the road and shop at #1 Corn Market on its way north to the lake at Faringdon House.
The photographs below were taken in the year 2000 by a group of local residents. Beneath each one is a simple historical list of known occupants up to the present time and the rough dates they were last known to be at the property. The number given for each property corresponds as accurately as possible to the postal address and is shown on the map.
Faringdon Market Place (starting top of Church Street)
#1. Mr Pettifer, the builder 1880; Rebuilt and became part of Salutation Hotel 1890-1972+; Faringdon Hotel 1990 (Bangkok Kitchen 2002); Salutation Mansions (private apartments) late1990s.#2. Crowdy & Son (solicitors) (?) 1895; Crowdy & Rose Solicitors 1953. This building replaced a barber’s and a sweet shop that were there in the 1880s.#3. Mr Edward Heavens (butcher) 1895,1903; Boycott and Wright; Pat Thomas (butcher) 1966-2022+.#4. Barnard (general store) 1891; Cadel’s (general store) 1903; A.E.Lismore (hardware) 1953-73+;
#4a. Antiques 1978; The Country Lady (clothes) 1985-1991; Modern Music c1992; Breath of Spring (florist) 1993-97; The Oxford Jeweller 2000; Orafric Jewellers 2006,2014
#4b. Self hardware; The Mouse (dress shop) 1978; Musselwhite (crockery shop); Faringdon Whole Foods c1987,1996; Faringdon Coffee House 2000; (Sub Rosa 2017 ?).#5. Pump House (spring in cellar); County of Gloucester Bank; Eagle Brewery (offices) 1880’s; Auxiliary Red Cross Hospital 1914; Institute and ex-Servicemens’ club 1953; Town Social Club <1972; Community Centre 1978-99; Faringdon Town Council; Pump House Community Rooms 2013; Tourist Information Centre 1980s-96, c2015-20+#6. Olivia Palmer (hairdresser) 1953 + The Buttery (cafe) c1970; Saffron Gallery (arts & crafts) 1978; Sinclair’s Restaurant 1981-92+; Market Restaurant 2000,2006; The Retreat Hairdresser 2016-19.#7. Originally a passage way to Swan Lane through door on right; George Ernest (grocer & bacon curer) 1880’s; Bunting & Co (accountants) 2006; Private House#7a. George Liddiard & Son (grocer & wholesale tobacconist/general store) 1880’s-1972; The Wool Market 1985; The Clothes Shop 1994-96; Tourist Information Centre 1996-2005; Thanks a Bunch (flowers) 2014; Hare in the Woods 2015-17; Stay Grounded (coffee) 2017-20; Little Bell Coffee Shop 2021; Market Cafe 2022.#8. Originally 2 private houses; County of Gloucester Bank 1880’s; Lloyds Bank 1897-2018; Domino’s (pizza takeaway) 2022.#9. Henry Lay (baker & confectioner) 1850s; Eliza Emily Lay c1879,1895; George Willis (baker) 1910s; Kathleen & Phyllis Carter (cigarettes & confectionery) 1930; Carters (prop.T.&M.K.Hogan) (baker) 1937,1961; Duringer’s Confectionery 1962-66+; Ramsbury Building Society 1973; Pilgrim Bond (estate agent) c1990s; Marriotts Chartered Surveyors 1994,2022; + Lear & Lear (estate agent) 2006.#10. Butcher’s shop 1800’s; Cooper (chymist) 1880’s; Bernard Haynes (solicitor) upstairs 1910; Cheltenham & Gloucester Building Society 1987; (#9/10) G&G Butchers 2006; African Children’s Fund (charity shop) 2005Crossing over London Street –
#11-12. F.W.Creese (costumes, millinery, dressmaking) 1903,1914; Arthur W. Smith (draper) 1910-1926; Noel R. Wilkes (draper) 1927-60+; Mortons (general store) 1985 closed 1986.
#11. Private house 1870s; (then see above) Faringdon Travel 1991-96/7; Curry Kitchen; Faringdon Kebab and Pizza house; Best Food 2000-22; vacant 2022.#12. Previously joined to #11; Gingers (music & video) c1992; Ritz Video 1994; Blockbuster Video 1996-2006+; The Exchange 2014; RV’s Fishing Tackle & Baits 2018-19; vacant 2021; Tiffany’s (ice cream cafe) 2022.#13. Cistercian monk’s hospice 11-1200’s; Public House/Inn 1600’s; The Bell Hotel 1830 (T.Franklin Commercial Hotel c1900).#14. Faringdon Clothing Mart 1870s; Pocock & Son (tailors) 1891-1926 (Pocock’s Corner); Barclays Bank 1926-2014; Quad cafe from 2015- 2018; Jackson & Browning (Funeral Services) 2017;. Upper floors – Davenports Business Centre; Bordengate Insurance 2006,2012#15/16. Anns’ Garage c1900-1912; Tuckers Greengrocer; Kings; Pocock & Son (tailors) 1926-31; Langham’s (greengrocers) 1953-73+ & Hobbs & Chambers (estate agents) 1914-85; Perry & Chambers (estate agents) 2000; Perry, Bishop & Chambers (Estate Agents) 2014#17. Ballard & Co (chemists) 1830-1999+; Dove (chemist); Moss 2006 (chemist); Boots Pharmacy 2014#18. Abel Bros (watchmaker & jewellers) 1877-1937+; E.Leverton & Sons (jewellers) 1960-73+; Deacon & Son (jewellers) 1970s-2018; vacant; The Narrows of Faringdon (restaurant) 2021,#19. Built early 1600’s as private house; part of Eagle Brewery 1891; Fairthorne & Co. 1890s; Belcher & Habgood (off-licence) 1902; Fergusons Ltd (wine & spirits) 1940s-70s; re-fronted 1970s; Togs & Toys c1970s;
#19a. Mustard Seed (Christian book shop) 1993-2022+.#19b. White Horse Country Wear 1993; Rob the Cheese 2000; Manna Delicatessen 2007; Manhattan Ink 2019; Manna…(heavenly foods) 2021; Tribe Zero-Waste (refill shop) 2022.Crossing over Marlborough Street – #20 on the left. The Lindens, home of Frank Liddiard c1900s-1954. Then renamed Linden House.#21 on the right. Frank Liddiard (grocers) c1900s-1920s; International Stores (grocers) 1920s-60s; Bargain Centre c1972 for 6yrs; Rollers Bargain Shop / Pound Paradise 1970s-2007+; Really Useful Shop 2014; Glow 2017; no name 2019, vacant 2020; Leaders (estate agent) 2021.
#21a. The black door leads upstairs to a private house.#22. Joseph Newman (blacksmith) 1877,1895; Demolished and replaced by Tinker Anns’ Garage 1912-1963+; Busby’s Newsagents 1972,1975; Mallows Newsagents 1987-89+; Dillons Newsagents 1991,2002; Martins Newsagents & Post Office 2006; McColl’s Newsagents & Post Office 2018; Morrisons Daily (convenience store & PO) 2023.#23. Dated 1645; Taylor’s (greengrocers) 1908; R.A.Robey (dairy & veg) 1930’s; Jane’s Pantry 1949-73+; Ristorante Franco 1989-99; Herbs! (restaurant) & Sadlers Catering 2000,2022.#24. Built 1600’s; Burgess (saddler) c1970; S&J.M Cooper (saddler) <1972-2002; The Sadlers (deli-café/curiosities) 2002,2022.Market Hall or Town Hall built after the Civil war in 1645. Used as a meeting room & magistrates court; jail; ambulance & fire station; Faringdon Branch Library; Red Cross charity shop; now a meeting room available for hire.#25. The Old Crown Coaching Inn 1500’s.#26. Originally part of The Crown; Front half – Post & Telegraph Office & PO Savings Bank 1860s-1900s; Rear half – Angel Inn 1840s-1920s; Portwell House Hotel 1953-2006+; Portwell Angel (closed 2018); Just Jacks – Wine bar 2014-18; Las Chicas (Spanish restaurant) 2020.
Upper floor – Bordengate Insurance 2014.)
Front Cellar – Disco cellar bar; Coffee shop; Portwell Wine bar; Portwell Cellar Bar; Ruby Jacks 2016-19; La Caverna 2020.#28. Camden House – Faringdon Rural and District Council 1950’s; Old people’s residential home; Private House#28. Camden House, #29. Church View House and #30 Astley House (entrance left of stone pillar) – vicarage until 1970s. The gate on right of the stone pillar is the entrance to Faringdon House.
A historical record of shops and other businesses in the Market Place, sometimes appearing as Market Street in a postal address. Shops and businesses have flourished here for many generations and premises have changed ownership many times. Some have closed down permanently at some time and have subsequently been converted into private houses, especially those furthest from the town centre.
The dotted line on the map shows the passage of a brook, which once divided Faringdon into the tithings of Port to the east, and Westbrook to the west. It used to be forded at this point but now passes under the road and shop at #1 Corn Market on its way north to the lake at Faringdon House.
