Building record 727/13/1 - No.158 Watling Street East (The Olde Wheatsheaf)

House, formerly an inn. Coursed squared ironstone, ridged tile roof, brick ridge stack. There is a large carriage arch to the right with depressed arched head. The inn has an 18th century origin, but dendrochronological survey of roof timbers suggests a construction date of 1806 indicating substantial rebuilding at this time.

{1} House, formerly inn. Mid C18, altered C20. Coursed squared ironstone, ridged tile roof, brick ridge stack. L-plan. 2-storey, 2-window range. Large carriage arch to right with depressed arched head. C20 windows to ground and first floors with stone lintels and keyblocks. Wing to rear left with similar windows. Interior not inspected. Included for group value.

{2} Inn, mid 18th century, altered 20th century. L-shape plan. 2 storey, 2-window range. Included for group value. Was known as The Olde Wheatsheaf.

{3} Wheatsheaf Inn, Watling Street East. 18th century stone building with carriage arch to the side; known as 'The Olde Wheatsheaf'. Now a domestic residence. Film 4, photo 18-20.

{4} Eight timbers from the roofs and floors of the L-shaped building on the front (west) were sampled. All were found to form a coherent group felled within the period of spring AD 1805 to winter AD1805/06, making construction most likely in AD 1806, or within a few years thereafter. This is later than the expected date, the building previously being thought to date to the early eighteenth century. This apparent major rebuilding coincides with a change in tenancy as well as an increase in trade from the Holyhead Road and an expanding pig market.

{5} Undated photo, also two photos dated 13.07.1959;

{6} A level 2 building recording survey was undertaken during renovation and stripping out of the building. It is possible that when the Wheatsheaf was constructed, it incorporated a wall which the north property boundary; it may have also been the side wall of an earlier building. A stub wall, and the clay floor identified in the rear room may also relate to an earlier building. The excavation of the floor also revealed the remains of a large inglennok fireplace and ash pit. The dendrochronological dating and survey indicates that much of the fabric dates to c1806 and a later rebuilding of 1854.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 13/174 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F08 p.79 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

<3> Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Towcester (Industrial), 3.4.2 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN100255.

<4> Bridge,M and Tyers, C, 2022, 158 Watling Street East, Towcester, Northamptonshire: Tree-Ring Dating of Oak Timbers, https://doi.org/10.5284/1100869 (Report). SNN113208.

<5> Photographs of buildings in Towcester (Photographs). SNN114425.

<6> Stamper, P, 2023, A record of fabric exposed during works to the former Wheatsheaf inn, 158 Watling Street East, Towcester (September 2020, with an Addendum February 2023) (Report). SNN114806.

Record last edited

Jul 23 2024 2:43PM