You are in [Places] [Bridge Street Properties] [6 Bridge Street]
[-->5 Bridge Street] [-->7 Bridge Street]
Summary:
Earliest information: 1732
Original estate: Priory of St. John
Common Rights? Yes - 14 ft frontage; 2 horses or 4 cows.
Date of current building: 18th century
Listed?: No
This property was often referred to in historic documents as "The room over the river".
Thumbnail History:
All the properties on the "island" [1-5 Bridge Street] stand on land that was previously the Priory of St. John the Baptist, which had been established in 1232, and was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1547. In 1740 a new road incorporating two bridges was built for easier access to town from Charnham Street, replacing old road in front of Riverside House and through the ford across the River Dun (by Forge Cottage).
Quit rent 6d.
Biggs -> Woodroffe -> Batt -> Lye -> Sims -> Freeman -> Baigent -> Faryab -> Furr -> Skin Clinic.
Photo Gallery:
6 Bridge Street, Jan 2007
Advertisement for Freeman Bros, c1890. Note address given as 8 & 9 Bridge Street
North end of Bridge Street, c1910
RF Norris, c1960
RF Norris, c1960
6 Bridge Street during rebuilding 17 Jun 2017
6 Bridge Street during rebuilding 17 Jun 2017
6 Bridge Street during rebuilding 17 Jun 2017
6 Bridge Street during rebuilding 17 Jun 2017
Re-building work on 6 Bridge Street, 17 May 2017
6 Bridge Street (the historic "room over the river") after redevelopment, Mar 2018.
The Bridge Street Skin Clinic, 14th October 2022.
- 6 Bridge Street, January 2007.
- Advertisement for Freeman Bros, c1890. Note address given as 8 & 9 Bridge Street.
- North end of Bridge Street, c.1910.
- RF Norris, c.1960.
- RF Norris, c.1960.
- 6 Bridge Street during rebuilding 17th June 2017 (4 pics).
- 6 Bridge Street (the historic "room over the river") after redevelopment, March 2018.
- The Bridge Street Skin Clinic, 14th October 2022.
Timeline:
1232: Priory of St. John the Baptist built on the "island".
1547: Priory of St. John dissolved by Henry VIII
1732: (See Inventory of William Biggs, tallow chandler under 7 BS. He definitely had ownership of 6BS and 7BS.)
1740 Probably date of northern section of Bridge Street.
1740: New road and two bridges built for easier access to town from Charnham Street, replacing the old road in front of the Tannery (stood to rear of Riverside house) and the ford (by Forge Cottage).
1753-61 (QR) Phoebe Bigg... for Room over the River (6d)
1774-1804 (QR) Anthony Woodroffe for his room over the river, q.r. 6d.
1805-17 (QR) Devisees of Sarah Woodroffe for the room over the river, q.r. 4d.
1818-23 (QR) Devisees of Sarah Woodroffe (deleted) Batt for the room over the river, q.r. 6d.
1832 (QR) Robert Batt for the Room over the River (6d)
1836 (QR) ....Lye for the Room over the River late Woodroffe's, q.r. 6d.
1841 (CS) Elizabeth Lye
1847 (CL) William Sims (owner & occupant)
1861 (CS#8) William Robbins (43) Cordwainer.
1861 (CL)
1871 (CS)
1881 (CS) S. Brown (38) (tobacconist)
Freeman family, 1891-1951:
1891 (KD) Freeman Bros.
1896 (CL) Thomas Gray Freeman (owner & occupant)
1903 (KD) Freeman Bros
1903 (T&M Register) Thomas Gray Freeman (owner and occupier until 1917)
1914 (CL) Thomas Gray Freeman
1918 (T&M Register) Miss Emily Augusta Freeman (owner until 1968; occupier until 1963)
1920 (KD) Freeman Bros
1932 (QR) Miss Freeman, for "Formerly rooms over the River formerly Woodroffes then Jas Langfords", q.r. 6d.
1939 (Blacket's) Misses Freeman, tobacconists and fishing tackle
1939 (KD) Freeman Bros (6BS)
1947 (CL) Miss Emily Augusta Freeman (owner & occupant)
19?? (Robert James) Mr Freeman had 21 The Croft built where he lived, and then his two daughters Misses Freeman lived (now Norman & Barbara Barr).
1951-66 (KN) Kath Norris took over fishing tackle and tobacco from Freemans. Red Stores (5BS) run by manageress. Upstairs, Norah Smith ran a photographic studio.
1952 (CL) Miss Emily Augusta Freeman
See: Advert for R F Norris, wools, 6 Bridge Street, May 1954.
1956 (CL) Miss Emily Augusta Freeman (owner & occupant)
1963 (CL) Miss Edith Gray Freeman (still fishing tackle)
1964 T&M Register) Peter John Whiting (occupier)
1966 Norris moved to 1BS, then 10HS in 1971.
1965 (T&M Register) Jeanette Baigent (occupier)
1968 (CL) Void
1968 (T&M Register) Myles Wyndham Thimbeby (owner)
1969 (T&M Register) Jeanette Baigent and Raymond Cyril Baigent (owners)
1970 Mr. & Mrs. Ray & Jan Baigent bought 6 BS (already owned 5 BS) opened Childrens Shop (clothing) in 6 & 5 Bridge Street
1970-83 (CL) Janette Baigent (Childrens Shop)
1983 Property sold - remained empty and boarded up
1984 (CL) Janette Baigent
1985 (CL) Janette Baigent
c1990 Bought by Mr Faryab of Malmesbury
2000 (CL) Void
2005 (CL) Void
2009 (NWN) West Berkshire Council used its legal powers to repair damaged windows and paint the frontage to improve the appearance of the derelict building.
Feb 2011 (NWN) Owner unknown.
Feb 2011 NWN article "Calls for action on decaying building"
2011 (CL) Void
2014 Bought by Greg & Rachel Furr
2017 (May): Rebuilding work started.
See also:
- 6 Bridge Street before the rebuilding, April 2016 (photos by Tony Bartlett)
- 6 Bridge Street during the re-building, May 2017 (photos by Tony Bartlett)
The Bridge Street Skin Clinic:
2019 Sep: Bridge Street Skin Clinic. (Dr Tara Kidd and Mrs Lina Ryan).
See also:
- Advert for R F Norris, wools, 6 Bridge Street, May 1954.
- 6 Bridge Street during the re-building, May 2017 (photos by Tony Bartlett)
The Canal Wharf, 2011