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Prebend House
History
The first clear evidence of Prebend House is in John Speed's map of 1610 (external link). It is possible that some of the interior actually dates from that time.
The name Prebend(ary) is given to quite a lot of buildings in this part of Buckinghamshire and John Speed's map shows a large house, Prebend End Manor on the site of the Island Car Park.
Like other houses on Hunter Street in the 17th century, Prebend House was probably occupied by a tanner and the Speed map shows tanning pits in the gardens between the house and the river. The preparation of leather was an important industry in Buckingham in the past and much of it was sent to Northampton, which became the most important national centre for boot and shoe making.
Like many old Buckingham houses, Prebend House was re-modelled in the early 19th century to give it a more modern and fashionable exterior. We see the early 19th century front of the house that faces Hunter Street today. At this time also some elegant panelling was installed in rooms on the ground and first floors, although sadly vandals have destroyed this in recent years.
In the late 19th century and early 20th century Mr Rogers, a prominent figure in the town and several times Mayor, occupied Prebend House. His business, that of an agricultural merchant, took up many of the buildings on the present Hunter Street site. He was well known nationally as a breeder of champion shire horses.
Rogers was an enthusiastic supporter of the Temperance Movement and welcomed the Salvation Army of Buckingham. It is known that the founder of the Salvationist movement, General Booth, was a regular guest of the Rogers family at Prebend House.
Restoration
In 2010 the University commissioned builders to commence work on the first phase of the restoration of Prebend House. The architect's drawing (right) shows the proposed north elevation to Hunter Street as an indication as to how it should look upon completion. This reflects the building's former 19th century glory, illustrated by the above photo taken in c. 1913.
The work is now underway and the garden has been extensively cleared to facilitate site access, taking care to preserve a number of trees. The single and two story additions to the south and north have been demolished in line with recommendations from the Historical Society, thereby highlighting the original proportions of this listed building with its imposing stucco classical façade.
The first phase objectives are principally to stabilise the building, render it safe and prevent further deterioration. It will also ensure that the roof is watertight to allow further work to be carried out on the interior of the building.
The University plans to restore the façade of Prebend House including the windows, porch and railings to the front of the building. This work should be completed by September 2010 which should see Prebend House making a very welcome return to glory, as well as possibly making Hunter Street / Nelson Street an attraction due to the quality of the historic buildings on display.
Prebend House will be another major property in the University of Buckingham portfolio of listed and historic buildings that it has managed to maintain or restore within this area of Buckingham.
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