The Royal Oak

GREAT BOOKHAM HIGH STREET TQ 1354 NE (west side) 14/83

7.9.51 No.16 (The Royal Oak)

GV II

House, now public house. Probably C15, altered and enlarged probably in early C18, and in C19. Timber-framed core, mostly surrounded by brick additions, the facade rendered and painted white; red tile roofs. T-plan plus cross-wings: original main range at right-angles to the street, extended at the sides, and projecting cross-wings added. Two storeys and 2:3:2 bays, symmetrical; plat band (rendered and painted black); the set-back 3-bay centre has a central doorway with a pilasterd architrave, a pediment on fluted consoles, and a door with 6 raised and fielded panels; two 16-pane sashed windows at ground floor, with thick glazing bars (ventilator inserted in that to the right), a large name-board above the band, and three 4-pane sashes at 1st floor. The left wing has two 4- pane sashes at ground floor, the right wing has a doorway and a 9-pane fixed window, and at 1st floor each wing has a 4-pane sash in the outer bay and a blind window in the inner bay. The wings have hipped roofs, but the outer side of that to the left makes a straight joint with the roof of No.18 to the left (q.v.). At the rear the central range projects and its north side has some exposed timber framing, but is mostly covered by a lean-to addition in the angle between it and the gable wall of the right wing; and a cottage (not included in the item) is attached to the rear gable wall of the main range. Interior: the 1st and 2nd bays of the main range have remains of late-medieval timber framing: at ground floor 4 wallposts, that at the south-east corner with blocked mortices of a former rail and jetty-bressummer (that at the other corner concealed), and very large joists with shallow trenches where they overlapped the jetty- bressummer; and an inserted chimney stack with inglenook fireplace in the 2nd bay; at 1st floor, wallposts, rails and wallplates, with arch-braces on the north side, and in the south wing part of a close-studded wall with a passing down- brace; in the roof-space, part of a crown-post roof including one undecorated crown-post with arch-bracing to the collar purlin, and collars and coupled rafters of large scantling (the structure interrupted by alterations at the front and by the inserted chimney stack to the rear). In addition the staircase in the rear has a landing balustrade of c.1700, with thick turned balusters, broad handrail, and ball-finial to the newel; the kitchen has a built-in corner-cupboard with round- headed doorway and fielded panel doors; and both front doors have H-L hinges.

Listing NGR: TQ1351954530