Town Survey Update 1998/2001
High Street East: Sheet seventeen
Building(s): 78 & 78A Photo: E20
History:
Originally, this building was double fronted and incorporated a wide archway to the south from the street into Hills Yard behind. Earliest photographs, 1850/60, show shop front extended forward with a bay over it capped by a tiled gable and two dormers to an attic above two storeys.
After front and gable had been removed and archway built-in in 1918, a deep fascia was fitted which was found in 1982 covered six ancient shouldered windows in blocks of three, the most southerly window had been over the archway.
Building changed considerably over the years before demolition and rebuilding in 1984 (January to October).
Grocer – R Stains – 1840 to 1849
Broadbridge – 1849 to 1882
Grocer and wine merchant – Pool – 1882 to 1891
Wood’s Mineral Waters
Marlow
R Stiles and R A Stiles – 1891 to 1914
E J Payne – 1914 to 1919
Shop renovated 1919 to 1920, double front being converted to two and a third formed by infilling Hill’s archway.
Fishmonger – The Fisheries – 1920 to 1923
General stores – Direct Food Stores – 1923 to 1924
Bank – Barclays – 1924 to 1931
Jewellers – Sevenoaks Goldsmiths – 1933 to 1937
Stevenson’s New Jewellers – 1938 to 1939
Ladies fashions – Philpotts – 1941
Undertakers – Francis Chappell
Jewellers – Campbell
E Kemp – 1951 to 1957
Greengrocers – Lou Barry and Bill Terry – 1957 to 1984
No. 78A
Stationers and Toys – J H Lorimer Limited – 1930 to date
(with No. 76 served meals upstairs in Blue Bird Café to 1937)
Current Use:
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J H Lorimer Limited
Description:
Two storey building, rebuilt 1984, with deep brown plain tile roof hipped at north end (left hand side).
Ground floor shop front divided into five full height bays in heavy bronze framework, without separate stall risers. Single doors, opening outwards, in bays two and four, the former having two shallow steps up from back of pavement. Red/brown brick on end lintel full width of shop front opening with similar brick to piers at each end.
First floor, in multi red/brown brick with two large three light windows set symmetrically over bays two and four on ground floor with brick on end cills and lintels. Robust style raised lettering ‘J H Lorimer’ below windows.
Comment:
Undistinguished building in which the blanked off out-of-scale windows is regretted.
Importance: D
Not included in previous survey.