page_title: Architecture of Aylesbury
section_title: The Friarage
hierarchical_section_title: Architecture of Aylesbury / Saxon to  medieval period / The Friarage
caption_attribution_description: English: An historic house in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
context_page_description: The architecture of Aylesbury, the county town of Buckinghamshire, reflects that which can be found in many small towns the length and breadth of England. The architecture contained in many of the country's great cities is well recorded and documented, as is that of the numerous great country houses. Frequently the work is by one of England's more notable architects – Christopher Wren, John Vanbrugh, Robert Adam, William Kent or even Quinlan Terry. What is less well known is the local almost vernacular architecture in the market towns, often inspired by the work of the great master architects or the general architectural style popular at the time. England had a middle class long before many other European countries, these bourgeois merchants would often return from a visit to one of the cities, or having seen a glimpse of one of the great country houses then require a replica of what they had seen. A local architect would then be employed to recreate it, within limited financial restraints. Sometimes the patron would merely draw an image of what he required and a builder would then interpret the requirements to the best of his often limited ability.
context_section_description: This building, the former friarage at 14, Bourbon Street is the oldest building in Aylesbury that was used as a residential dwelling.  Constructed circa 1386 as a Franciscan priory the substructure remains intact although the exterior is more modern.  Part of the original foundation of the building can still be seen at the side in Friarage Passage.
  It is possible that the building was re-fronted shortly after the dissolution of the monasteries by King Henry VIII in the 16th century.  Re-fronting was a common practice in British building techniques and involves stripping away the external shell of the older building, sometimes just the front, and then adding a new shell.
  This building in particular is discernible as a much older building than it looks because of the uneven windows at the front.  One will notice that no two windows are on the same level or of the same size: this indicates a more organic growth of the building over many years rather than one that has been specifically designed to look a particular way - this is a common feature of buildings of this age.
  There is a high likelihood that the building was re-fronted for a second time or had extra features added to it in the 18th century: the front door, for instance, is of a much later design than 16th century.  However records suggest that the size of the doorway, and the position of the windows are original features from the 14th century structure.
  Today the building is the main office for a firm of solicitors, who have been based in this building since the firm was founded: it had been the private residence of one of the firm's first partners.
caption: The old friarage building
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