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Landmark Barn In Stoughton May Be Demolished For Housing
Published on: 5 Feb, 2016
Updated on: 5 Feb, 2016
A landmark building in Stoughton may be demolished to make way for three new homes.
Residents in Grange Road and neighbouring streets have had a flyer posted through their letterboxes this week from Farnborough-based Limus Building Design Services that wants to demolish a timber barn and replace it with three ‘residential homes’.
The barn in Grange Road, Stoughton, that may be demolished and replaced by three houses.
The flyer is asking people to have their say on the proposals.
The barn, at the junction of Grange Road and Little Street, is the last remaining building of Grange Farm that once occupied the site.
The barn in Grange Road, Stoughton, featured on a picture postcard from the 1900s. David Rose Collection.
Parts of it may date back to the 18th century and it is probably the oldest buiding still standing in the Stoughton area of Guildford.
On its flyer, Limus Building Design Services states that it is preparing a planning application for new homes at 115 Grange Road.
A plan for the proposed development as seen on Limus Building Design Services’ flyer.
It adds: “It is important that local residents, businesses and community groups are kept informed of such proposals – and give them the opportunity to comment on our schemes so that we can respond positively to local views.”
It continues: “The proposals are to remove the existing barn and provide three new residential homes that front Grange Road. The scheme will result in a significant improvement of the area with the replacement of a building in poor state of repair with high quality residential homes.”
An artist’s impression on what the houses may look like, From Limus Building Design Services’ flyer.
It is inviting people to have their say by providing feedback at its website.
Grange Farm was once owned by the Butcher family who mainly grew produce that was sold at market. Later the Butchers rented part of the farm to the Burden family who ran a dairy from there. The farmhouse (long gone) was on the opposite side of Grange Road.
A view of the barn from about the 1930s when it was owned by the Butcher family. Picture: David Rose Collection, courtesy of John Butcher.
In latter years the barn was used by a firm who supplied gaming machines to pubs and clubs. There has been a ‘to let’ sign on the barn for some time, but no one, it seems, has come forward to rent it.
This latest news is bound to be a topic of discussion at local historian David Rose’s talk on Stoughton and its history hosted by Guildford Museum this Saturday (February 6) at its Salters gallery in Castle Street. The museum has confirmed that all seats for the talk have now been allocated.
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Responses to Landmark Barn In Stoughton May Be Demolished For Housing
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Dave Middleton
February 5, 2016 at 10:35 am
A quick check on the GBC website does not show any planning application in force for this site.
I was under the impression that the barn was a listed building, but again, a check on GBC’s website does not show the barn as being listed, either nationally or locally.
I live on Grange Road, not too far away from the barn and have mixed feelings about this proposal.
On the one hand, the building has been empty for some time and unless an occupier can be found who is prepared to maintain it, it will rapidly fall into disrepair, as wooden buildings of this sort are high maintenance. If that were to happen it would become just another decrepit eyesore, subject to vandalism and the likelihood that some idiot might set it ablaze!
The proposed development would of course provide three family homes in a residential area of Guildford and it looks like they will have off-street parking – an important feature on our congested road.
I don’t think that the barn as it is could be converted into a single dwelling, as the size of the home and finished price would be more than people would be prepared to pay for a home that has no garden space attached to it.
On the other hand, although it’s not the prettiest barn building I’ve seen, the barn is a link to the area’s past and as ever, once a building is gone, that’s it, it’s gone forever and it would be sad to lose it.
In short, my head says knock it down and build the houses, but my heart says keep the barn. Tough decision.
David Raison
February 5, 2016 at 2:49 pm
More of Guildford’s history about to disappear then.
Colin Checkley
February 5, 2016 at 4:38 pm
I think that it should be saved and would gladly give what I can to help.
Mike Garrett
February 5, 2016 at 7:37 pm
I think it would be a real shame to lose another piece of Guildford’s past.
However, if the barn really is beyond saving, surely the developers could at least take inspiration from its structure and architecture to design something that reflects those elements, rather than replacing it with the seemingly lazy, bland and uninspiring proposal being put forward?
Tim Cooke
February 5, 2016 at 11:39 pm
I’m a bit of a DIY’er and actually got myself a carpentry qualification outside of normal working hours. So if the opportunity arose I’d be more than happy to assist in maintaining this barn if it remained.
I only live up the road so if anybody more experienced than I wanted to take it on but needed some more hands, I hereby volunteer my services.
Tom Taylor
February 6, 2016 at 9:37 am
My grandmother owns this barn and the barn is being moved to another site.
The houses will be built in its place, so nothing is being demolished.
Dave Middleton
February 6, 2016 at 4:25 pm
That’s excellent news Tom.
Has the new site been decided and if so can you reveal where it will be?
Is the barn to be put to use as a barn again?
Gemma Williams
February 6, 2016 at 11:11 am
The photos are wonderful.
Can anyone tell me when Grange Lane became Grange Road?
Maybe the barn could be relocated and restored?
Thanks for the info.
Bernard Parke
February 6, 2016 at 3:09 pm
The name Grange referred to the grange which once stood there.
It was divided into flats before being pulled down.
[Ed: but that was not the original manor house that was demolished several hundred years ago].
Dave Middleton
February 7, 2016 at 4:34 pm
Stoughton Grange still exists as flats, located behind the much newer Wake Court.
Mike Pugh
February 6, 2016 at 6:16 pm
It would be a shame to lose such a rare piece of history, and to replace it with three unimaginatively designed modern houses.
Surely there must be an alternative form of development that would preserve the barn in its original form?
Perhaps conversion to some form of a community asset?
A community/village hall?
A doctors’ surgery?
Perhaps one of the existing community facilities might consider relocating to this site, which would also provide ample parking.
Dave Middleton
February 7, 2016 at 4:47 pm
I don’t think the design for the houses is that bad and I would say that they are in keeping with the rest of the houses on that part of the road.
As for using the barn for a community centre, we already have a new community centre building about 200 yards away on Queen Elizabeth Park, next to the now defunct Budgen’s store.
That community centre is not yet used to its full capacity. We don’t need another under-used “community facility”. We do need more reasonably priced homes for people to live in.
As for other uses, such as the suggested doctor’s surgery, the cost of bring the building up to the required standards would be prohibitive.
There is not ample parking for such use either. The car park in the picture is the private car park for the eight Grange Court flats on Little Street.
The barn only has a hard standing which would probably accommodate five of six cars at best, that would barely provide parking for the staff.
Martin Whitley
February 19, 2016 at 4:04 pm
I worked in that barn as a apprentice carpenter from 1958 until 1963, under ‘Jack Hall’ the joiner who worked for Arthur Brooke Johnston, a small building firm from Johnston Walk, Tylehost estate, Worplesdon.
Presumably it was leased from the Taylor family.
Many happy memories of the potbellied stove glowing red with the heat, on a winter’s day.
Jo Hopkins
March 2, 2016 at 10:05 am
Hi Martin, it’s Jo (nee Whitley – Jack’s daughter). I remember a chap called Martin who was I think a New Zealander who worked at the barn also… do you remember him?
T Kelly
April 9, 2017 at 6:27 pm
I do think it’s a shame to move the barn, though worse to demolish it, purely because it’s siting is what references it to it’s past.
Places needs historical references for future generations to understand the context of the area we live in. So in that sense I find it sad. I equally understand there is still a growing population requiring homes.
If only the houses would be within reach of first time buyers borrowing power it might be a worthwhile project! Although by the look of things people are starting to panic-sell already.
T Kelly
April 13, 2017 at 11:45 am
‘The oldest building left in Stoughton is the eighteenth century threshing barn in Grange road. It has a good porch, high quality tie beams and a large cart entrance. It was one of the buildings of Stoughton Farm which was in the area of the old manor house. Many people remember the duck pond which used to be in front of it. That was the last remnant of the moat…’ Taken from Book by Anne Sankey.
Sankey, A. (post 1990) Stoughton, Guildford People and Places. Guildford.Commercial Press Guildford Limited. (Page 19)
No ISBN but available in Guildford library – when I take it back!
Terry Simmonds
January 5, 2018 at 8:52 pm
If the barn is to be re-built that’s good. My grandad worked there for Burdens and I have a milk bottle from those years, now pictured in the book Images of Guildford. The barn is part of our heritage that we don’t want to lose I would love to know it’s new place.