130-136 Church Street, Preston- Standing Building Investigation

Building Design Partnership (BDP), on behalf of their client Preston Tithebarn Partnership, requested in February 2008 that Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) submit proposals to undertake an assessment of 130-136 Church Street, Preston, Lancashire (centred SD 5427 2940). A desk-based assessment (OA North 2007), undertaken as part of the overall archaeological assessment for the Preston Tithebarn Regeneration Area (PTRA) scheme, identified two buildings to be Grade II listed; a warehouse, 131a Church Street (LB no 941-1/12/77), and The Old Dog Inn, 133 Church Street (LB no 941-1/12/78). A cartographic analysis also showed buildings to have fronted Church Street since at least the earliest available map of 1684 (ibid).
The area southwards from Church Street to Blelock Street, and between St John’s Place and Manchester Road, is outlined for redevelopment for a replacement bus station as part of the PTRA scheme. Following consultation with English Heritage, the design of the bus station is progressing on the basis that the frontage and first rear extension of the Old Dog Inn (No. 133) and the warehouse (No. 131a) will be retained, with all remaining buildings being demolished. In order to obtain Listed Building Consent for the demolition of the more recent parts of the Inn, and to understand the relationship between a building abutting the rear of the warehouse that may be listed by attachment, an investigation was required. From this information, it will be necessary to assess the potential for the significance of those remaining buildings outlined for demolition. This information will be used to inform the planning application and design of the proposed redevelopment. The assessment was not a recording exercise in mitigation of the development but was been designed to meet the client’s requirements.