Wednesday, 01 October 2025

1461: exact build date of ‘Chantry House’ revealed

1461: exact build date of ‘Chantry House’ revealed

THE exact construction date of one of Henley’s oldest buildings has been revealed following an investigation.

An expert has determined that the Chantry House, which is located between St Mary’s Church in Hart Street and the courtyard of the Red Lion Hotel in Thames Side, was built in 1461.

It was always known to have been built around the 1400s but Dr Daniel Miles, an architectural specialist from Mapledurham, pinned down the year by scrutinising its timber framing.

The Henley Archaeological and Historical Group, which funded the research using a £1,000 grant from South Oxfordshire District Council, says this confirms its belief that the Grade I listed building was actually a hall where merchants traded and stored their goods.

Records show that John Elms and John Devene, of two leading wool merchant families, bought a plot in that area in 1445 which was probably vacant.

It was ready to be developed during a period when trade was buoyant and the riverside location was perfect for sellers to load goods on to boats heading downstream to London. Dr Miles used a technique called dendochronology, in which he drilled small cross-sections of wood from the building’s interior and analysed the ring pattern under a microscope.

The rings, each of which represents a year’s new growth, are further apart in wetter years and closer during dry ones so they can be compared with weather records from the same period.

Analysis showed the oak used in the construction was felled in the spring of 1461 and it would have been used almost straight away as it must be “worked” while it is fresh.

In the Twenties, the building was christened the Chantry House, a name usually given to lodgings for “chantry” or assistant priests, but it was always thought unlikely that they would have had a lavish home.

It is believed that the ground floor of the building, which is accessible only from Thames Side, was an open sheltered area for goods while the floor above, facing the town centre, was a trading floor accessed through an ornately-carved doorway.

The Henley Bridge of that time had lower arches so with the Chantry House being immediately downstream, boats didn’t have to squeeze under them.

The River Thames was also wider then, so the hall would have been nearer the water.

The venture apparently failed as by 1552 it had been sold for use as a school. The Red Lion began taking over in stages in the 1770s and in 1923 it was sold again for use as a parish room.

The funding for Dr Miles’ work was arranged by Henley district councillor Kellie Hinton and it is hoped that signage at the site can be revised to reflect the new findings.

Ruth Gibson, who is secretary of the historical group, said: “This discovery has significance beyond Henley as less than three per cent of listed structures nationally are Grade I and the only other one in Henley is the bridge.

“Dan has a lot of experience with dating local wood, which was helpful because trees grow differently all over the country depending on conditions, and we’re really pleased with what he has found.

“We’re still awaiting a full report but even the overview is fascinating.

“We never believed it was a chantry house. I studied history and archaeology and know that those at the ‘bottom of the heap’ in the church would never have had a building like this.

The economic history of the Middle Ages has always supported the alternative explanation and this confirms it.

It’s not just something we dreamed up but is totally consistent with the wider context.

“I’d like to see it renamed but it’s listed as the Chantry House so that could be complicated. I don’t think it matters as much as improving our knowledge, whatever we decide to call it.”

Councillor Hinton said: “This is a special, stunning building and one we always take the Britain in Bloom judges to see.

“ It’s tucked away but very important to Henley and I find it fascinating — I even had my daughter’s christening here.

“It’s wonderful that we now know more about the build date because it helps us understand its background and keep its history alive.

“Our primary schools often bring pupils to see it and now the children can know a lot more about it.”

Henley’s oldest buildings include the Old Bell pub in Bell Street, which was built in 1325, and the former Old Broad Gates Inn in Upper Market Place, which was built in 1353. Both are Grade II listed.

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