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Public building, reference LHL081

LHL081

Published on Thursday, September 4.

Updated on Thursday, September 4.

Built in 1957, Architect GA H Pearce. Later, in 1976 and as Architect to the Ministry of Public Building and Works, Scotland, Pearce oversaw the building of the Category A Listed Greenhouse in the Royal Botanical Gardens, lnverleith.

Pevsner (N & E Kent. 2013, p. 355), describes Faversham Post Office as ' .. pleasant anonymous work .. In a characteristic variety of materials -brick, stone, timber cladding and much glass .. T shaped, with a lower range returned along Newton Road.'

The building comprises a number of one and two storey elements - lower parts centre around the two storied, unequal-T shaped, main block. Its long two storey arm extends up Newton Road, fronted by a narrow single storey section. At the rear is a large yard with vehicle access for Post vans etc. Facing south into the yard across the back of the building is a single story glazed roof lean-to. The second two storey section - forming the head of the T - faces south into the yard and north onto East Street.

Fronting its two storey north elevation is a further, tall, single storey flat roofed section housing the Post Office counters. This is expressed as a separate element with its own pattern of glazing and use of materials. Next to it is the Post Office's public entrance, via a separately expressed porch.

As suggested by Pevsner the building displays a whole series of classic 1950s mannerisms, design solutions and material preferences. The today unusual choice of roof finish - copper sheeting - is typical of the period. The building contributes positively and for Faversham, uniquely to the Conservation Area character as a rare example of successful 1950s low key, low rise, development on a town centre site.

The building is set-back from East Street as the result of highway department road widening lines applied post war when large scale highway projects in historic towns were extensively planned. In this case the opportunity for a start to street widening already existed due to localised bomb damage - fortunately, it came to nothing, leaving a small and potentially attractive open space to set-off the building's visually complex, public, north elevation.