No. 7 Market Place had been a grocers & wholesale tobacconist owned by the Liddiard family since the 1880’s until around 1972 when it became a shop selling wool and clothes. During 1996 extensive renovations took place in order to turn it into a home for the Faringdon’s Tourist Information Centre. It has become many other things over the years since then, and is currently a coffee shop.
Many discoveries were made during the renovations, not least an old cobbled passageway at the side of the shop going through to Swan Lane and the buildings used for the storage of goods and stabling of horses. Also, a hole was found in the floor to upstairs, from where it is said that old Liddiard could shout to his staff in the shop below.
An occupational history of other 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‘.
Researched by Ian Lee, July 2020.