105-121 Queens Road, Reading, Berkshire

Building Recording

for Crest Nicholson (Eastern) Ltd

by Steve Ford 

Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd

Site Code AQR02/75

April 2005

i

Summary

Site name: 105–121 Queens Road, Reading, Berkshire Grid reference: SU 7230 7330 Site activity: Building Recording Date and duration of project: November 2004 – January 2005 Project manager: Steve Ford Site supervisor: Steve Ford Site code: AQR 02/75 Area of site: c.2000sq m Summary of results: Unlisted residential and business properites of late 19th century construction were recorded prior to and during demolition Location and reference of archive: The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited at Reading Museum in due course. This report may be copied for bona fide research or planning purposes without the explicit permission of the copyright holder Report edited/checked by: Jennifer Lowe 27.04.05 Steve Preston 26.04.05

1

105-121 Queens Road, Reading, Berkshire Building Recording

by Steve Ford

Report 02/75c

Introduction

This report documents the results of building recording of 105–121 Queens Road, Reading, Berkshire (SU 7230

7330) (Fig. 1). The work was commissioned by Mr John Eyers of Crest Nicholson (Eastern) Limited, Crest

House, Progression Centre, Mark Road, Hemel Hempstead, HP2.

A planning consent (04/00792/FUL/SJH) has been granted by Reading Borough Council to demolish

existing buildings and construct residential and commercial premises with car parking facilities. The consent

included conditions (31 and 32) relating to archaeology and building recording. The results of an archaeological

evaluation dealing with the archaeological component of the conditions has been reported elsewhere (Taylor

2005) and this document is concerned only with recording of the buildings prior to demolition. An earlier

desktop assessment (Hardy 2002) highlighted the archaeological potential of the site and provided cartographic

and archaeological background to the project.

This is in accordance with the Department of the Environment’s Planning Policy Guidance Planning and

the historic environment (PPG15 1994), and the Borough’s policies on archaeology. The field investigation was

carried out to a specification approved by Ms Fiona Macdonald of Berkshire Archaeology, archaeological

advisers to Reading Borough Council. The fieldwork was undertaken by Steve Ford in November 2004 and

January 2005 and the site code is AQR 02/75. The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological

Services, Reading and will be deposited at Reading Museum in due course.

Location, topography and geology

The site is located in central Reading on a roughly rectangular parcel of land bounded by Queens Road to the

south, Kings Road to the east and Kennet Street to the north. The site was occupied by a terrace of office and

residential properties fronting Queens Road to the south with workshops and small yards fronting Kennet Street

to the north. Areas to the rear of the Queens Road properties are mostly for car parking and an area on the

eastern margin is rough ground. The buildings were not statutorily or locally listed.

2

Objectives and methodology

The purpose of the building recording was to describe and photograph the structures prior to their demolition to

provide a record of some of the ordinary and typical buildings of Reading erected in the late 19th century. The

specific aims of the project were:

a) To provide a photographic record of the interior and exterior of the structures overall.

b) To provide a photographic record of any items of architectural or historical merit

c) To provide a basic written description of the structures

Results

A map regression exercise revealed that the site was unoccupied in 1834 (Fig. 3) but with the majority of the

buildings (i.e. those on Queens Road) being erected before 1879 (Fig. 4) with infill on Kennet Street taking place

before 1900 and a large house at the end of the block being replaced by terraced houses. The pattern is broadly

similar in 1912 (Fig. 5) until after 1956 at the earliest. A substantial three -storey extension was made to the rear

of number 105 along with a single storey passageway extension before 1989 (but probably in the 1970s or

1980s) and the eastern boundary of the current site was formed following some demolition for the widening of

Kings Road in the late 1980s. Another two-storey extension was made to create a stairwell to the rear of 115,

probably in the same time period. The last use of the Queens Road structures was for both office and residential

use.

Queens Road Number 105

This was a brick built two-storey structure with a second-storey front dormer extension and a three-storey brick

built extension with stairwell to the rear. The extension was built in the 1970s or later. The structure had a slate

roof. The front dormer extension was wooden but walled with slates with a flat roof. The front entrance led into

a passageway which was a new single-storey extension also built in the 1970s or later. The entrance passageway

allowed access to a ground floor reception area and front room with two rooms behind and another passageway

to the rear which linked with the stair well.

The second floor comprised two rooms, front and rear, with a passageway to the rear and a toilet. The third

floor had three rooms and toilet. The basement comprised two rooms with a passageway to the rear and toilet.

An alcove was present on the western side of the basement

3

Number 107

This comprised a two-storey structure with a second-storey rear dormer extension. It was brick built with a slate

roof. The extension was wooden with a flat roof. An external metal fire escape was accessed from the dormer

window. It is not clear where the front door was originally placed and access is via 111. The ground floor

window is a modern bay. A passageway in the gap between 109 and 111 present on the Ordnance Survey maps

up to 1956 has been subsequently bricked in and the roof extended to complete the terrace with number 111. The

passage was still present inside with the rear portion used as a toilet. The ground floor comprised two rooms,

front and rear. The first floor also comprised two rooms front and rear with the passageway component being

utilized as a toilet to the rear and store room to the front. The second floor was occupied by a single room.

The basement was occupied by two rooms, front and rear, with the front part of the passage used as a store

and the rear used as access to the back door.

Numbers 109 and 111

This comprised a three-storey structure. It was brick built with a slate roof. The front door was placed centrally

with modern bay windows either side. An external fire escape provided egress from the rear second-floor

windows. The interior structure had been much modified and it was not clear where the original division

between the two properties lay. The ground floor comprised two front rooms to either side of the entrance

passage with two rear rooms. The upper floors and basement were accessed via an open structured steel staircase

with gantries which also allowed descending access to the ground and first floors of number 109. The first floor

comprised four rooms, two front and two rear, with a toilet to the rear. The second floor comprised three rooms.

Number 113

This consisted of a three-storey structure. It was brick built with a slate roof. The ground floor frontage was

painted grey with a large modern plate glass window. There was no original entrance present, with access

provided from number 115, these conversion works having taken place since 1956. The ground floor comprised

a single large room. The second floor consisted of two rooms, front and rear, either side of a passage way. The

third floor comprised two rooms, front and rear, with an access door to the roof space of 115. The basement

housed two rooms, front and rear.

4

Number 115

This was a two-storey brick built structure with slate roof, with the frontage painted white. The original front

entrance had been blocked, but remnants of a step indicated its former position. A modern doubled glazed

entrance and modern plate glass window provided access to all three properties (113–117). The ground floor

comprised a large reception room with passages to the east (to number 119) and north (to the rear entrance and

stairwell). The stairwell is a recent (1980s) brick built addition to provide combined access to the upper floors of

numbers 113–117 and basements of 113–119. The first floor comprised a single front room with two bathrooms

to the rear. The basement comprised a front room with toilet to the rear either side of a passageway.

Number 117

A three-storey brick built structure with slate roof. The original front entrance and door were in place but not

used. The ground floor comprised two rooms, front and rear, on either side of the passageway linking number

119 and 115. The upper floors were accessed from the staircase in number 115. The first floor comprised a front

living room (bed-sit) and beneath stairs toilet, with shower room, kitchen and toilet to the rear beyond a

passageway. The upper floor included a single front room with under-roof storage space to the rear. The

basement comprised two rooms, front and rear either side of a passageway.

Number 119

Three storeys, brick built with a slate roof. The street frontage of the ground floor was smooth rendered. The

entrance led to a passage way and stairs with two toilets, an under-stair cupboard and a kitchen which was added

to the rear of the structure after 1900. A single large room occupied the remainder of the ground floor with a link

to number 117. The first floor comprised a living room to the front with kitchen, two bathrooms and a toilet to

the rear which occupied the two-storey (old) extension. The second floor comprised three bedrooms.

A basement comprising two rooms, front and rear and was accessed from a passageway from number 113.

Number 121

This was a two-storey structure with a second-storey rear dormer extension. It was brick built with a slate roof.

This building was constructed after 1900 and replaced an earlier building. The extension was brick built with a

flat roof. The front was of rendered block-patterned frontage with a double door entrance and double windows.

A small cellar was accessed from the rear. The easternmost wall had been rebuilt (or had a brick skin added)

following demolition of an adjacent property during construction of the new Kings Road.

5

The ground floor comprised an entrance foyer with two rooms and a toilet and kitchen accessed off a

passageway to the rear door. The first floor comprised four rooms. Two rooms forming the second floor dormer

extension occupied most of the roof space with an under-roof storage area to the front. The stair well was lit by a

skylight.

Kennet Street workshops The westernmost structure (A) was a single-storey brick built garage with flat roof. The street entrance was via

sliding doors. The rear (south) room was occupied by an office which was extended after 1931. Structure B was

three storeys and part of a contiguous terrace with workshops C and D. Workshop E with two storeys, butted on

to the eastern end. The workshops comprised large garage spaces to the front with workshops B and C being

accessed by modern metal overhead doors but a normal door to access workshop D. Workshop E retained its

traditional wooden doors. A large door was also present on the first floor of workshop C, with smaller doors on

the second floor of workshops C and D. Large doors were also present on the first floor of Workshop E. The

garages for workshops B, C and D accessed a small yard to the rear. The upper floors of workshops B to E

contained several rooms and a toilet but full access to all areas was not possible to complete the photographic

study.

The western gable end of workshop B had a painted advertisement for ‘N R Humphreys (Builders)

Limited’, and the frontage formed by all three (B, C, D) displayed the wrought-iron lettering of their insurers (‘J

D & S’).

Conclusion

This exercise has recorded, mostly by photography, a range of residential and business premises constructed in

the late 19th century and modified subsequently. The structures were of no architectural or historic merit and are

typical of functional buildings erected at this time in Reading in their thousands and for which there are many

extant buildings remaining.

References

Hardy, L-M, 2002, ‘Alto Building, Queens Road, Reading, Berkshire, An archaeological desk-based assessment’, Thames Valley Archaeological Services draft report 02/75, Reading

Taylor A, 2005, ‘105-121 Queens Road, Reading, Berkshire, An archaeological evaluation, Thames Valley Archaeological Services report 02/75b, Reading

PPG15, 1994, Planning and the historic environment, Dept of the Environment Planning Policy Guidance 15, HMSO

PPG16, 1990, Archaeology and Planning, Dept of the Environment Planning Policy Guidance 16, HMSO

6

APPENDIX 1: Colour slides

Number Building Floor Direction looking

Comment

1 SE Exterior view workshops from Kennet Street 2 S Exterior view workshops from Kennet Street 3 W Exterior view workshops and new retain wall from Kings Road 4 W Exterior view workshops and new retain wall from Kings Road 5 N Exterior rear view workshops 6 N Exterior rear view workshops 7 N Exterior view 115-121 Queens Road 8 N Exterior view 115-121 Queens Road 9 N Exterior view 111-119 Queens Road

10 N Exterior view 105-115 Queens Road 11 N Exterior view 105-111 Queens Road 12 NE Exterior view 105-125 Queens Road 13 NE Lightwell 105 Queens Road 14 E Lightwell 107 Queens Road 15 E Lightwell 109 Queens Road 16 E Lightwell 111 Queens Road 17 E Lightwell 113 Queens Road 18 E Lightwell 115 Queens Road 19 W Lightwell 115 Queens Road 20 E Gable end, 105 Queens Road 21 S Exterior view rear 105 Queens Road 22 S Exterior view rear door 105 Queens Road 23 S Exterior view rear 105-111 Queens Road 24 SE Exterior view rear 115-121 Queens Road 25 E Gable end workshops on Kennet Street 26 SW Exterior view rear 107-109 Queens Road 27 SW Exterior view rear door 109 Queens Road 28 SE Exterior view rear 111-119 Queens Road 29 E Gable end workshops on Kennet Street 30 S Exterior view rear 115 Queens Road 31 SE Exterior view rear 117-119 Queens Road 32 NE Exterior view workshops on Kennet Street 33 A NE Interior view workshops (office) on Kennet Street 34 A E Interior view workshops (kitchen) on Kennet Street 35 A NE Interior view workshops on Kennet Street 36 A N Interior view workshop on Kennet Street 37 S Exterior view 121 Queens Road 38 N Exterior view (rear) workshops on Kennet Street 39 S Exterior view rear cellar door 121 Queens Road 40 121 W Interior roof and gable end 41 121 2nd N Stair well 42 121 2nd W Room entrances 43 119 2nd NE Room 44 119 1st NE Rear toilet 45 119 1st NW Rear kitchen 46 119 G N Foyer and stairs 47 119 G SE Front (main) room 48 119 G N Rear kitchen 49 119 G N Rear toilets 50 113 G SW Front room main entrance 51 115 G SE Front room 52 115 G NE Rear room 53 117 2nd NE Roof 54 113 2nd N Stair well 55 113 2nd SE Roof 56 113 2nd SW Front room 57 111 G SE Front (main) room 58 111 B NE Front room 59 111 B N Front room 60 111 B N Rear room 61 111 B NW Rear room 62 111 B NE Rear room 63 111 B N Rear (toilets) 64 111 B SE Front room 65 109-111 SE Stair complex 66 109-111 W Stair complex 67 105 yard N Test pit in yard

7

Number Building Floor Direction looking

Comment

68 121 G N Entrance foyer and stairs 69 121 G E Kitchen 70 121 G N Toilet 71 121 1st NE Rear room 72 121 1st NE Rear room 73 121 1st SE Front room 74 121 1st SW Front room 75 121 1st N Stairs 76 121 2nd SE Roof 77 121 2nd S Roof 78 109 G S Passage way 79 109 G N Toilet (rear) 80 109-111 G W Stair complex 81 105 B NE Rear room 82 105 B SW Front room 83 105 B SE Test pit front room 84 105 B NE Front room 85 105 G N Corridor 86 105 G S Corridor 87 105 G SE Front room and entrance 88 105 3rd E West room 89 105 3rd SW Front room 90 105 3rd N Stair well 91 105 3rd E Window 92 107-109 3rd E Rear view of extensions 93 107-109 2nd E Rear view of extensions 94 107-109 2nd E Rear view of extensions 95 105 3rd E Rear room 96 105 3rd W Toilet 97 105 1st SE Front room

8

APPENDIX 2: Colour prints

Number Building Floor Direction looking

Comment

1 S Exterior rear view 105 Queens Road 2 SE Exterior rear view 105-121 Queens Road 3 S Exterior view rear door 105 Queens Road 4 S Exterior view rear windows 105 Queens Road 5 S Exterior view rear 105-117 Queens Road 6 SW Exterior view rear 107 Queens Road 7 SE Exterior view rear door 107-109 Queens Road 8 SE Exterior view rear 107-119 Queens Road 9 S Exterior view rear doors 113-115 Queens Road

10 SE Exterior view rear 115-119 Queens Road 11 SE Exterior view rear 117 Queens Road 12 SW Exterior view rear 115 Queens Road 13 E Gable end workshops Kennet Street 14 E Gable end workshops Kennet Street, painted sign 15 SE Workshops Kennet Street 16 S Workshops Kennet Street 17 S Workshops Kennet Street 18 NW Workshops Kennet Street gable wall from Kings Road 19 NW Gable walls Queens Road and Kennet Street from Kings Road 20 NW Exterior view 113-121 Queens Road 21 N Exterior view 117-121 Queens Road 22 N Exterior view 111-121 Queens Road 23 NW Exterior view 105-115 Queens Road 24 N Exterior view 107-115 Queens Road 25 N Exterior view 105-109 Queens Road 26 NE Light well 105 Queens Road 27 E Exterior view gable end 105 Queens Road 28 NW Light well 117 Queens Road 29 NW Light well 115 Queens Road 30 NW Light well 113 Queens Road 31 NW Light well 111 Queens Road 32 NW Light well 109 Queens Road 33 NE Exterior view 105-121 Queens Road 34 NE Exterior view 105-121 Queens Road 35 NE Exterior view 107-121 Queens Road 36 NE Exterior view 105 Queens Road 37 A SW Interior view ground floor office, workshop, Kennet Street 38 A NE Interior view, ground floor kitchen, workshop, Kennet Street 39 A NE Interior view, ground floor middle office, workshop, Kennet Street 40 A S Interior view, ground floor front workroom, workshop, Kennet Street 41 N Exterior view rear workshops, Kennet Street 42 S Exterior view rear cellar door 121 Queens Road 43 S Exterior view rear 121 Queens Road 44 S Exterior view rear cellar 121 Queens Road 45 121 W Interior roof and gable end 46 121 2nd N Stair well 47 121 2nd NW Rear room 48 119 G N Front room 49 119 G E Passage to 117-113 50 119 G NE Front room 51 117 G SE Front room 52 113 G SW Front room 53 121 G N Stairs 54 121 G W Front room 55 121 G N Passage way to rear 56 121 G N Rear room 57 121 1st E Rear room (east) 58 121 1st N Rear room (west) 59 121 1st S Front room (east) 60 121 1st SE Front room (west) 61 121 2nd Up! Fanlight for stairs 62 121 2nd NE Rear room (east) 63 121 2nd NE Rear room (west) 64 121 2nd S Rear room (west) 65 121 NE Roof 66 107-109 1st S Door 67 107-109 2nd W Stairs complex

9

Number Building Floor Direction looking

Comment

68 107 2nd N Rear room 69 105 G N Basement stairs 70 105 B E Basement 71 105 B W Alcove 72 105 B S window 73 105 B SW Test pit, front room 74 111 B NE Rear room 75 111 B S Front room 76 105 3rd W Toilet 77 105 3rd S Stairs 78 105 3rd S Front room 79 105 3rd NE Rear room (east) 80 107 G? Kitchen 81 105-109 W Demolition 82 107-109 NW Demolition 83 109 NW Demolition 84 109 N Demolition 85 107 N Demolition 86 105 N Demolition 87 109 S Demolition

10

APPENDIX 3: Black and White contact sheet

Number Building Floor Direction looking

Comment

1 SE Exterior rear view 105-121 Queens Road 2 S Exterior rear view door 117 Queens Road 3 N Exterior view rear of workshops, Kennet Street 4 S Exterior view rear 119 Queens Road 5 SW Exterior view rear 119 Queens Road 6 S Exterior view Kennet Street workshop A and rear of Queens Road 7 S Exterior view Kennet Street workshops 8 SW Exterior view Kennet Street workshops 9 W Gable walls Queens Road and Kennet Street from Kings Road

10 NW Gable walls Queens Road and Kennet Street from Kings Road 11 NW Gable walls Queens Road and Kennet Street from Kings Road 12 N Exterior view 115-121 Queens Road 13 N Exterior view 109-119 Queens Road 14 NW Exterior view 105-115 Queens Road 15 N Exterior view 105-111 Queens Road 16 NE Light well 105 Queens Road 17 NE Light well 107 Queens Road 18 NE Light wells 109-111 Queens Road 19 NE Light well 111 Queens Road 20 N Light well 113 Queens Road 21 NE Light well 115 Queens Road 22 NE Light well 117 Queens Road 23 W Light well 117 Queens Road 24 N Exterior view gable end 105 Queens Road 25 S Exterior view 105 Queens Road 26 S Rear entrance 105 Queens Road 27 S Rear entrance 105 Queens Road 28 S Exterior view rear, 105-113 Queens Road 29 S Exterior view rear, 105-113 Queens Road 30 SE Exterior view rear, 113-117 Queens Road 31 SE Exterior view rear, 113-119 Queens Road 32 E Exterior view gable end workshops A and B, Kennet Street 33 E Exterior view, painted sign on gable end, workshop B, Kennet Street 34 S Exterior fire escape rear view 107-111 Queens Road 35 S Exterior view rear, 113-119 Queens Road 36 A N Interior view ground floor, office workshop A, Kennet Street 37 N Exterior view workshops B-D Kennet Street 38 S Exterior view rear cellar door 121 Queens Road 39 B N Interior view ground floor, workshop, Kennet Street 40 C N Interior view ground floor, workshop, Kennet Street 41 B S Interior view ground floor, office workshop, Kennet Street 42 B N Interior view ground floor, office workshop, Kennet Street 43 C N Staircase to upper floor 44 D N Interior view ground floor, workshop, Kennet Street 45 D S Interior view ground floor, workshop, Kennet Street 46 D 1st N Front room 47 C 1st SE Front room 48 C 1st S Rear room 49 C 1st N Bathroom 50 C 1st S Rooms 51 C 1st S Staircase 52 121 2nd NW Rear room 53 121 2nd NE Rear room 54 121 2nd S Front room 55 121 2nd S loft hatch 56 121 2nd E Roof 57 121 2nd W Roof 58 121 2nd N Stairs and landing 59 119 G NE Front room 60 119 G E Passage to 117-113 61 119 G SE Front room 62 115 1st SW Rear kitchen 63 113 1st SE Front room 64 113 1st NE Front room 65 115 1st N Stair well 66 111 1st SW Front room 67 109 1st N Rear kitchen

11

Number Building Floor Direction looking

Comment

68 109 2nd E Roof 69 113 2nd NE Rear kitchen 70 Yard Test pit 71 121 G N Stairs 72 121 G W Front room 73 121 G N Passage way to rear 74 121 G N Rear room 75 121 G E Bathroom 76 121 G E kitchen 77 121 1st N Rear room (west) 78 121 1st N Stair well 79 121 1st N Rear room 80 121 1st SW Front room (east) 81 121 1st SE Front room (west) 82 121 2nd NE Roof 83 121 2nd S Roof 84 121 2nd N Rear room (west) 85 121 2nd S Rear room (west) 86 121 2nd N Rear room (east) 87 107-109 2nd W Stairs complex 88 107-109 1st S Stairs complex 89 107-109 G E Stairs complex 90 111 2nd N Rear room 91 111 B N Rear exit 92 105 B NE Rear basement 93 105 B SE Front basement 94 105 B S Test pit, front basement 95 105 B S window 96 107-111 B E Basement passageway 97 111 B N Rear basement 98 111 B S Front basement 99 107 B SW Front basement 100 105 3rd W Toilet 101 105 3rd S Stairs 102 105 3rd S Front room 103 105 3rd NE Rear room (east) 104 A G NE Interior view, workshop office, Kennet Street 105 A G N Interior view, workshop Kennet Street 106 A G E Interior view, workshop kitchen, Kennet Street 107 A G N Interior view, workshop Kennet Street

105-121 Queens Road, Reading, Berkshire, 2005,Buillding Recording

Figure 1. Location of site within Readingand Berkshire.

Reproduced from Ordnance Survey SU 77 SW at 1:5000.Ordnance Survey Licence 100025880

73000

SU72000

SITE

AQR 02/75

SITE

105-121 Queens Road, Reading, Berkshire, 2005,Building Recording

Figure 2. Detailed location of site on Queens Roadprior to demolition.

AQR 02/75

SITE

Scale : 1:625

SU72300

73300

105-121 Queens Road, Reading, Berkshire, 2005,Building Recording

Figure 3. Simmond’s Map of Reading 1834.

AQR 02/75

Site

105-121 Queens Road, Reading, Berkshire, 2005,Building Recording

Figure 4. Ordnance Survey 1879.

AQR 02/75

Site

105-121 Queens Road, Reading, Berkshire, 2005,Building Recording

Figure 5. Ordnance Survey 1912.

AQR 02/75

Site

105-121 Queens Road, Reading, Berkshire, 2005

Figure 6: Detailed layout of site pre-demolition. AQR 02/75

BT

QUEE

NS R

OAD

ST JOHNS STREET

KENN

ET S

TREE

TKINGS ROAD

ST JOHNS STREET

INLA

ND R

EVEN

UE O

FFIC

ES

106 -

128 Q

UEEN

S ROA

D

SUN LIFE HOUSE

N

0 25m

121

119

117

115

113

111

109

107

105

AB

CD

E

SU72

300

7330

0

Plate 1. Queens Road frontage, looking north-east.

Plate 2. Rear of Queens Road buildings from Kennet Street looking south east.

AQR 02/75

Plate 3. Workshops on Kennet Street , looking south-east.

Plate 4. Rear of Kennet Street buildings looking west.

AQR 02/75

Plate 5 Main staircase inside number 121 looking north.

Plate 6. Roof and gable wall, number 121 looking west.

AQR 02/75