No. 7a 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. The TIC lasted for about 9 years and since then it has become many other things and is currently a coffee shop. Also in 1996, funding was raised and it was hoped that a part of this building could be purchased in order to create a local museum. Both the TIC and the museum are now located up the road at the Old Pump House, 5 Market Place.
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. There is also evidence of a tunnel running from here towards Swan Lane and a suggestion that it is, in turn, connected to a large tunnel, which was discovered in the 1960s, running from the back of the Old Police Station in Coach Lane in the direction of the church.
An occupational history of this and other premises, as far as is known, can be found on the ‘Shops & Businesses in the Market Place‘ page. Also ‘George and Frank Liddiard, grocers at 7 & 21 Market Place‘. 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‘.
References:
The Faringdon Tunnels – A leaflet researched and written by Cllr. Rosalind Burns, on behalf of Faringdon Town Council can be downloaded from here: faringdontowncouncil.gov.uk/information/tunnels-leaflet-by-cllr-burns/
Researched by Ian Lee, July 2020.