Henley Archaeological & Historical Group

The Old White Hart

The Old White Hart
21
Hart Street
Henley-on-Thames
RG9 2AR
The Old White Hart, 21/23 Inn; 17 & 19 (now independent shops) Hart Street; this is a courtyard inn of 1530 dendro date, but with a much earlier medieval range, which forms the Hart Street facing front buildings. These have a vaulted, chalk rib lined cellar – still in use and accessible from the street – and the remnants of a painted crown post roof. Alas, the street façade, including the two gables are a 1930s re-fronting in the Tudoresque style, being the reason for the loss of most of the medieval crown post roof timbers and much of the timber-framed front wall.
The 1530s two-story yard buildings preserve plenty of evidence that they had been built to accommodate first floor chambers over service rooms and probably stabling. The chambers were accessible from a long corridor, originally external and very probably served from several staircases rising from the yard. All outside walls are built of 2” Tudor brickwork, some of it with diaper patterns, laid in English bond; they are Henley’s earliest dated bricks.
A former two-storey, two-bay open hall with large ‘inglenook’ brick fire place and ornately carved central truss occupies part of the west range. Now divided by inserted floors and a modern staircase.
See separate reports for adjacent shops Nos. 17 and 19 Hart Street.
Grid Reference: SU76138267
Parish: Henley-on-Thames
Surveyed in: 2008
Report written by: Ruth Gibson
Sort key: 0HY-HAR-021