This Grade II listed property along Tanner’s Hill in Deptford SE8 is steeped in rich naval history. The planning consent for the conversion of a pair of timber framed properties in the heart of Deptford on a difficult site required detailed exploration into both the building itself and the Deptford High street and St. Paul’s conservation area in which it sits.
The row of cottages along Tanner’s Hill are important buildings and were part of a row of shipbuilder’s houses of 17th century origin. Deptford Dockyard was founded by Henry VIII and was the leading dockyard in the 16th to 18th centuries which expanded the town around its Naval Dockyard.
This listed group of buildings, at a walking distance from the dockyard, represent the type of housing that would be common for such workers. As a community which, unusually for the time, did not work in their homes, the houses are of very modest scale, with a single room on each floor. The row of small, one-room plan town houses is a rare survival in London, and is an example of ‘urban vernacular’.
Designed by OO Architects the proposed scheme received planning in 2024 and is due to be developed in 2025.
“They say the spirit of a building resides in the last half inch of brickwork, or horse hair, lath and plaster in this case!
I love the crooked angles, creaky timbers and rough edges of this house and it was my job as the Architect to protect and showcase this charm as it cannot be recreated. It was clear from the start the proposal we put forward the new house would need to set itself apart from the main listed house. The use of vertical charred black timber cladding is anchored in English naval history and speaks of tar covered timbers used in the building of old ships.
Through our research we uncovered some interesting history. Waste timber was a by-product of the Dockyard, and timber offcuts were customarily used as a payment in kind for the workforce. This timber was used in the construction of the Tanner’s Hill houses.
Its been said that timber lengths or ‘chips’ were hauled along Deptford high street by men one at a time which is where the term ‘chip on your shoulder’ originated.”
Oliver James Ogilvie - Director