St. John's Street - Trust Annual Report 1982
The Trust, in partnership with the Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust, is now well embarked upon the ambitious scheme to restore the ten Victorian cottages opposite St. Johns Church. The City Council, as part of a larger scheme, granted a licence to the two Trusts to enable the work to be carried out and, when completed, the houses will be sold to nominees of the City Council at discounted prices. The work is being carried out by Dunnings under the direction of the Trusts' architect, Keith Walker.
It is hoped that the majority of the houses will be ready for occupation by the end of this year, and progress to date has been good. Many of the roofs have been reslated, and plastering in the top houses is under way. At No. 40 St. John's Street a complete mediaeval cellar has been revealed, and also a timber framed wall of Elizabethan or earlier origin. These features will be preserved and incorporated into the building, and it is hoped that this particular house will attract a sympathetic purchaser.
The action of the two Trusts in saving this section of St. John's Street is of considerable importance to Winchester, bearing in mind the large number of similar Victorian cottages which have been demolished in the City since the Second World War. It also illustrates what can be achieved by cooperation between different organisations, and we are most grateful for the opportunity provided by the City Council and for the major financial share taken by the Hampshire Trust.