Post-medieval Oxford - Oxford City Council
Post-medieval Oxford - Oxford City Council Post-medieval Oxford - Oxford City Council
Urban settlement Developments in vernacular building The open hall either with undercrofts or first floor halls had largely fallen out of use by the start of the 16th century and was replaced by two principal forms of urban townhouse comprised of either the courtyard style or the broad parallel style (Pantin 1947). Changing attitudes brought about by the Renaissance and the Enlightenment encouraged regular designs and classical details while at the same time, improvements in construction techniques led to enclosed fireplaces and improved the quality of internal lighting. By the 17th century, the typical small town-house comprised two rooms on each floor heated by a central chimney stack with either a staircase to the rear or against the chimney. Broad frontage town-houses were able to accommodate a wider range of designs however, and it became increasingly common for the wide frontage town-house to comprise a central entrance leading into a hall and central staircase with gable end fireplaces (Brunskill 1997). Greater definition on the use of internal space was another consequence as the upper floors became more closely identified with private spaces as bedrooms while the ground floor became the semi-private arena for guests. Ornamental design both internally and externally became increasingly popular (Hillier and Hanson 1984). Until the Victorian period, Oxford was a predominantly timber and stone built city, although brick is known to be used in certain structures from Tudor times, for example at New College in 1532 (Harvey 1975: 143; Harvey 1978). For a summary of stone sources, see Arkell (1947). In Oxford, 16th and 17th century structures include multi-storey oak framed structures and others built in the Cotswold rubble stone tradition. A summary list of scarf joints used within medieval-post-medieval buildings in the county is provided by Currie (1972). Unlike 17th century London, timber-framed buildings were not prescribed as a fire risk in Oxford and continued to be built into the 19th century (Kersting and Ashdown 1980: 20). Important groups of post-medieval buildings survive in High Street, Ship Street, Holywell Street, St Giles Street and Pembroke Street. Prosperous merchant houses of the 15th-17th centuries reflected the influence of London-Bristol housing fashions (Ashdown and Hassall 1975: 139). Much lighter stuccoed timber frames were introduced in the 18th-19th centuries, often refronting older structures. Notable Historic Maps of Oxford Ralph Agas 1578 Wenceslaus Hollar 1643 [not reliable] Bernard de Gomme 1645 David Loggan 1675 William Williams 1732 [based on Loggan] Isaac Taylor 1750 Longmate 1773 William Faden 1789 [based on Taylor] Robert Hoggar 1850 OS 1:500 Map 1878 and subsequent. OS mapping Table 2: Historic maps illustrating Oxford city OXFORD ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT- POST MEDIEVAL 12
Archaeological evidence The principal streets and side streets Medieval structures on the High Street with later 17th and 18th century components have been subject to various levels of recording. The 16th-18th century rear wing of 106-7 High Street, a medieval hall known as Tackley’s Inn, was recorded by Pantin (1942). Investigations at 126 High Street noted a classic reworking of a medieval house into a double-pile urban house with its gable to the street (Munby 1975). At No.117 High Street, the smoke blackened ceiling of a medieval hall was identified; here the hearth floor had been covered over in the 16th century with distinctive chamfered joists (Munby 2000: 441). At Nos 113-119, a trench to the rear demonstrated that medieval stone lined cess pits were updated and remodelled into the 19th century, (Walker and King 2000: 381). A building survey by Pantin and Rouse at the Golden Cross, Cornmarket, in 1948-9 during modernisation work, recorded a number of mid-16th century wall paintings. Subsequent investigation dated the western timber gateway and the north range to the late 15th century, the south range to the late 17th century, and the east, formerly stable range to the early or mid-19th century. The north range is timber framed and has three brick chimney stacks, one a later addition; it has now been dendro-dated to the 1530s. The jetty on its south side had been rebuilt by 1797 (Pantin and Rouse 1955). The demolition of the 16th-century Clarendon Hotel, Cornmarket Street, provided an opportunity for further building recording in 1954-5. The complex included the remains of the Star Inn, consisting of timber framed ranges built c1550, around a small courtyard and refronted c1783 (Pantin 1958). Later structures within the intra-mural area that have been subject to partial recording include the 18th century town house at 16 Turl Street. The first known function of the house was for University Lodgings; it was also notable for being used for one of the country’s first Indian restaurants in 1947 (Henderson 2004). To the rear of Cornmarket at 5-7 Market Street, archaeological investigations in 1999 recorded evidence of 18th century domestic activity primarily in the form of a distinctive pottery assemblage from several pits, (Taylor and Hull et al. 2002). The large assemblage of material from the pits including examples of all vessel types suggested a deliberate household clearance in the late 18th century (ibid.: 355). See Pottery below for more information. Post-medieval vaulted cellars Further work is required to bring together the evidence for stone built vaulted structures around the town. A 17th century cellar of reused limestone blocks with a brick barrel-vaulted roof was recorded at Lincoln College (Kamash et al. 2002: 227). A vaulted structure relating to properties fronting onto St Giles was recorded outside the steps to the Ashmolean Museum (Sims 2009). Stone vaulted cellars of similar date have been recorded to the rear of the High Street at Drawda Hall, (Oxford Archaeology forthcoming), and Brasenose College (Oxford Archaeology forthcoming). The poorer intra-mural areas – St Ebbe’s Redevelopment of St Ebbe’s between 1967 and 1976 led to a series of rescue and salvage excavations across an extensive area. An open area rescue excavation at 31-34 Church Street provided the opportunity to examine the evolution of small intramural tenement plots fronted by small late medieval stone footed buildings. Between c.1500-1600, two stone footed buildings were present on the frontage separated by open ground used for rubbish pits. A square, stone lined pit was located to the rear of the open frontage, probably used by one of the neighbouring dwellings. High densities of pits were recorded behind No 34 suggesting continuous OXFORD ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT- POST MEDIEVAL 13
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Urban settlement<br />
Developments in vernacular building<br />
The open hall either with undercrofts or first floor halls had largely fallen out of use by<br />
the start of the 16th century and was replaced by two principal forms of urban townhouse<br />
comprised of either the courtyard style or the broad parallel style (Pantin<br />
1947). Changing attitudes brought about by the Renaissance and the Enlightenment<br />
encouraged regular designs and classical details while at the same time,<br />
improvements in construction techniques led to enclosed fireplaces and improved the<br />
quality of internal lighting. By the 17th century, the typical small town-house<br />
comprised two rooms on each floor heated by a central chimney stack with either a<br />
staircase to the rear or against the chimney. Broad frontage town-houses were able<br />
to accommodate a wider range of designs however, and it became increasingly<br />
common for the wide frontage town-house to comprise a central entrance leading<br />
into a hall and central staircase with gable end fireplaces (Brunskill 1997). Greater<br />
definition on the use of internal space was another consequence as the upper floors<br />
became more closely identified with private spaces as bedrooms while the ground<br />
floor became the semi-private arena for guests. Ornamental design both internally<br />
and externally became increasingly popular (Hillier and Hanson 1984).<br />
Until the Victorian period, <strong>Oxford</strong> was a predominantly timber and stone built city,<br />
although brick is known to be used in certain structures from Tudor times, for<br />
example at New College in 1532 (Harvey 1975: 143; Harvey 1978). For a summary<br />
of stone sources, see Arkell (1947). In <strong>Oxford</strong>, 16th and 17th century structures<br />
include multi-storey oak framed structures and others built in the Cotswold rubble<br />
stone tradition. A summary list of scarf joints used within <strong>medieval</strong>-post-<strong>medieval</strong><br />
buildings in the county is provided by Currie (1972). Unlike 17th century London,<br />
timber-framed buildings were not prescribed as a fire risk in <strong>Oxford</strong> and continued to<br />
be built into the 19th century (Kersting and Ashdown 1980: 20). Important groups of<br />
post-<strong>medieval</strong> buildings survive in High Street, Ship Street, Holywell Street, St Giles<br />
Street and Pembroke Street. Prosperous merchant houses of the 15th-17th centuries<br />
reflected the influence of London-Bristol housing fashions (Ashdown and Hassall<br />
1975: 139). Much lighter stuccoed timber frames were introduced in the 18th-19th<br />
centuries, often refronting older structures.<br />
Notable Historic Maps of <strong>Oxford</strong><br />
Ralph Agas 1578<br />
Wenceslaus Hollar 1643 [not reliable]<br />
Bernard de Gomme 1645<br />
David Loggan 1675<br />
William Williams 1732 [based on Loggan]<br />
Isaac Taylor 1750<br />
Longmate 1773<br />
William Faden 1789 [based on Taylor]<br />
Robert Hoggar 1850<br />
OS 1:500 Map 1878 and subsequent. OS<br />
mapping<br />
Table 2: Historic maps illustrating <strong>Oxford</strong> city<br />
OXFORD ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT- POST MEDIEVAL<br />
12
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