68-80 High Street, Vale Brook House & shops

  • c. 1970 High Street view with the shops built 1967
  • Vale Brook House, 80 High Street
  • The shops were built on the garden of James Munt's house
  • 2018. Vale Brook House
  • 1910 map showing the large garden (484 on map extract) which became the site for these shops
  • Plan from 3 March 1967 consent. This shows the house and site of Greystones top right. It still has garage access from Farm Close Road.
Archive Notes:

Photos of Vale Brook House, 80 High Street and the shops built in 1967 on the site of James Munt's adjacent house and large garden. Also photo from 2018.

J A Pye made an application in 1964 to demolish Vale Brook House and build the parade of shops with residential above. This was adjacent to the residential estate which they had already built. Consent was granted and the development of the existing parade was completed in 1967 but without the demolition and re-development of Vale Brook House. Presumably as the consent for the Vale Brook part had lapsed, they made another outline application for the latter in 1973 but appear not to have pursued this. The attached plan was just a map extract with a line around the site (of the entire site including Vale Brook House)

The grounds of this house stretched along the street as far as the end of the new shops and to the South-West to the grounds of Bell Lane School. Mr E “Staggy” Munt had an orchard and market garden here. He took his produce to Oxford in a horse drawn cart. Pye’s bought the estate in 1967 and put up six shops, enclosing what was left of the garden with a high brick wall. One old apple tree remains.

Listing particulars state 'House. C18. Colourwashed limestone rubble and ashlar dressings; weatherboarding; old plain-tile roof and brick stacks. Double-depth plan. 2 storeys. 2-window front has storey band and 4-pane sashes at first floor with keyblocks. Double-span roof is hipped to left with end stacks. Rear has casements, and rear range continues to right in weatherboarding. Entrance now at rear and has 4-panel door. Interior not inspected.

There is (or was) an outbuilding at the far (south) end which is separately listed and the details say 'Outbuilding approx. 10m. S of No. 80 (Vale Brook House)'.

 

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