Old Brewery House, Henley-on-Thames
Old Brewery House is different from most of our projects because we are both architect and occupier. The building became Cohanim Architecture's Henley office in Q2 2026 and is being progressively repaired, understood and adapted as a long-term home for the practice. It is a Grade II* listed building dating broadly from the second quarter of the 18th century and historically formed part of the Brakspear brewery complex. Originally a high-status residence associated with the brewing family, it later developed an administrative relationship with the brewery and has been in office use for several decades. Our objective is not to return the building artificially to one moment in its history. Instead, we are using its planning record, surviving fabric and physical evidence to determine what is genuinely historic, what has been altered repeatedly and where contemporary intervention can improve the building without eroding the qualities which justify its exceptional listing.
"This is an ingenious workaround that mitigates the aesthetic impact of this change on the rear elevation whilst introducing an interesting new feature that enables ease of access to the terrace."
Pre-application response, Heritage Officer, South Oxfordshire District Council
Becoming custodians rather than simply occupiers The starting brief was to create a high-quality working environment for the practice. The building immediately made that a much more interesting exercise. Old Brewery House contains exceptional Georgian fabric, but also a substantial amount of later work. It underwent alterations in the 1970s, conversion to office use around 1980 and another comprehensive refurbishment in 2003–04. Rather than treating every existing component as though it were 18th century, we began by reconstructing the building's history from archived planning consents, drawings, specifications, photographs and the fabric itself. That research now informs every intervention. The project has consequently become a practical demonstration of our approach to conservation: retain what matters, repair before replacing, identify later interventions accurately, and use contemporary work to improve rather than imitate the historic building.
Distinguishing genuine history from later alteration, while staying open every day Old Brewery House contains exceptional Georgian fabric, but a significant amount of what first appears historic dates only from a comprehensive 2003–04 refurbishment. Without accurate archival evidence, listed-building work risks treating later interventions - a lowered basement floor, a renewed rear roof, a partially blocked historic opening, a redecorated interior - as though they carried the same significance as genuinely 18th-century fabric. The practice must also continue functioning as a working office throughout, so the building cannot simply be vacated and returned to. The result is a conservation programme paced by evidence rather than assumption, and being delivered while the office remains in daily use.
A Grade II* house within the former Brakspear brewery
Old Brewery House stands on New Street within the Henley Main Conservation Area. Its principal New Street elevation is of particularly high architectural significance: a five-bay Georgian composition with a formal entrance framed by fluted Doric pilasters. To the east, the building has an unusual relationship with the River Thames, including a fine Palladian window and upper-floor river views. The rear faces what is now the Hotel du Vin courtyard but was historically part of the working brewery complex. That distinction between elevations has become important to the design strategy. The principal public elevations are approached with particular restraint, while the much-altered rear and secondary areas provide greater opportunity for carefully evidenced intervention.
Research before design
One of the most important pieces of architectural work has involved no construction at all. We recovered and analysed previous permissions and drawings dating from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and particularly the major 2003–04 refurbishment. Those records have established that a surprising amount of fabric which initially appeared historic is in fact considerably later, including: the basement floor having already been lowered substantially in 2003–04; the rear extension roof renewed or altered during the same period; a historic rear opening partially blocked using modern stud construction; significant elements of the internal decorative scheme renewed; roofing details altered previously; and the building having already undergone major office refits. This evidence allows proposals to be directed towards later fabric while retaining genuinely significant material.
The brewery yard, c.1900, with the raised lean-to platform from which the dray-wagons were loaded - Appendix 9, 2003 Statement of Significance
The building contains 24 recorded windows. Our approach first begun with a detailed analysis and recording of the existing fixtures, fittings and materials throughout. This led to us being able to assess that a significant proportion of the historic building is actually not original but dates from the 20th and 21st century. This is not uncommon when assessing listed buildings. This also enables us to provide solutions which are far more acoustically and thermally efficient than many in similar properties desire but fear they cannot implement. Where fenestration, by way of example, is determined to be original - joinery profiles, mechanisms, glazing and surviving historic glass are assessed and we determine how they can be upgraded to achieve 21st century standards, or indeed if policy will allow us to replace. Taken together these interventions mean that we can upgrade the fabric across a building legitimately with the backing of the LPA and Building Control to provide a building offering substantial levels of amenity.
Photograph of c.1900 showing the Brewery Office (No.84) and the Mineral Water Manufactory, New Street - Appendix 11, 2003 Statement of Significance
The external masonry required a different approach. Parts of the building had been repaired using cementitious materials unsuited to the historic masonry. A conservation package was therefore developed comprising removal of inappropriate cementitious mortar, lime repointing, repair of rainwater goods, replacement of locally spalled masonry, and controlled cleaning of the façade. Listed Building Consent P26/S2366/LB was granted in Q3 2026, with the Heritage Officer describing the proposed works as an enhancement to the listed building.
Compton Lacey drawing 2824/45 Rev A - Old Brewery House (No.6) proposed plans, Listed Building Consent P03/E0762/LB, 2003
One of the first formal applications concerned the replacement of modern kitchenette and WC fixtures. The Heritage Officer accepted the evidence that these elements were 21st-century additions and that their removal would not affect historic fabric. Listed Building Consent P26/S1216/LB was granted in Q2 2026. Although modest in physical scale, the consent established the working relationship which has governed the wider project: research and evidence precedes proposals, with intervention only arriving on sound, evidenced footings and supplemented by the highest quality work.
Compton Lacey drawing 2824/47 - Old Brewery House (No.6) Section AA basement detail, Q2 2004, P04/E0422/LB
The basement currently provides approximately 50 sqm but suffers from highly restricted headroom, varying from around 1.77m to 2.05m. Research established that this is not an untouched Georgian basement. The floor was already lowered by approximately 400mm as part of the 2003 wider redevelopment. The pre-application strategy explored recovering additional headroom by first removing modern suspended ceiling construction and then, only where necessary, lowering the modern floor slab by up to a further 300mm to make this existing substantial space far more commercially viable. The historic brick piers, arches and principal structural fabric remain untouched. By improving the practical space in the basement, pressure on the historically significant and more sensitive upper floors is offset.
Compton Lacey drawing 2824/46 - Old Brewery House (No.6) elevations, Listed Building Consent P03/E0762/LB, 2003
The rear elevation contains one of the most interesting opportunities. Historic drawings demonstrate that the awkward pitched roof over the modern rear extension and the truncation of a former first-floor opening are both consequences of relatively recent work. A new pre-application proposal therefore explores removing the later pitched roof, replacing it with a lower flat roof and discreet terrace, and reinstating the original proportions of the historic opening. The solid built form would actually reduce: the existing pitched roof disappears and the new guarding is designed as a visually lightweight intervention. The proposal is therefore conceived not as an addition placed onto an historic building, but as an opportunity to remove awkward later fabric while adding contemporary amenity.
Compton Lacey drawing 2824/152 Rev D - roof plan of the New Street site, Henley Brewery, 2003-04
The initial broad pre-application received objections to elements of the loft proposals, including dormers, a rooflight and a staircase. Rather than simply resubmitting the same design, we changed it. The prominent rooflight was removed entirely. The quantity of dormers was reduced and their position redesigned around newly identified existing roof geometry so that they could be more effectively concealed. The staircase was then reconsidered using new evidence demonstrating that the short section of balustrade affected is not original fabric and that much of the loft landing construction is itself modern. This iterative process is important to the case study: conservation engagement is being used to improve the scheme rather than merely secure an approval.
1836 plan of the brewery - No. 7, dwelling house of Mr Knight, the senior clerk (Appendix 2, 2003 Statement of Significance)
Much of the internal panelling and decorative treatment appears to relate to the major 2003 office refurbishment, but we are not assuming that all of it does. The current methodology divides finishes according to evidential confidence. Modern fabric can be repaired and redecorated conventionally. Uncertain or potentially historic joinery is instead recorded and subjected to paint analysis before abrasive preparation takes place. No wholesale stripping or replacement of panelling is proposed. This is a more forensic approach than simply specifying a decorative refurbishment and is particularly appropriate to a Grade II* building.
1879 Ordnance Survey 1:500 map - houses 1-4 were later demolished for the Mineral Water Manufactory (Appendix 4, 2003 Statement of Significance)
The project is being deliberately progressed through a sequence of relatively focused consents and pre-application enquiries. Two Listed Building Consents have already been secured, while additional packages concerning the basement, rear roof, loft, internal finishes, windows, shutters and environmental systems are being developed through targeted consultation. That approach allows each part of the building to be understood properly rather than bundling a large number of interventions into a single application and treating them as though they carry equal heritage impact. The office can consequently continue functioning while its longer-term conservation programme develops.
Knowing what is old before deciding what must stay
Listed-building work can become unnecessarily restrictive when every existing element is assumed to carry equal significance. At Old Brewery House, archival research has allowed us to replace assumption with evidence. For example, the 2003 consent records widespread internal redecoration, new doors and linings, new cornices, plasterboard linings, partitioning and other internal alterations. The same historic submission demonstrates that the present rear roof and the partial blocking of a former opening are products of modern interventions rather than surviving Georgian fabric. That distinction is fundamental. It enables us to be more protective of genuinely historic fabric precisely because we are not treating later work as though it carries the same significance.
New Street
Architecture as an act of stewardship
Typical of many historic and listed buildings, the Old Brewery House will unlikely ever be 'finished' - but rather ought to be looked after and cared for as a labour of love. Inherently these exceptional buildings boast of a character that is almost impossible to replicate. As our own office, it gives the practice a direct relationship with the building because we will inevitably be taking a hands-on role with its restoration. The building therefore operates simultaneously as our Henley workplace, an investment in an important historic property, a live conservation project, a test bed for sensitive building-services integration, and a demonstration of the standard of finish, restoration techniques and material quality that we insist upon when we work on our clients' buildings. It is the ultimate form of legitimacy - our clients will see first hand the attention to detail, critical approach and strategy that we recommend as part of our service, in action on our very own site too. Few practices get the opportunity to put their principles into action on their own office - we are honoured to be able to do so with this special building for Henley-on-Thames.
- A lot of sanding...
- ... and prep-work...
- and some more sanding...
- Farrow and Ball, Railings (4 cts)
- Some incredible hand gilding and gold leaf work by Katrin at the Chic Sign Studio
- Grace & Glory, Polished Brass Letterplate
- Hand polishing of all original brasswork
- Gessi Paper roll holder, matte black
- Dyson wall-mounted Airblade
- VitrA wall-mounted automatic soap dispenser
- Laufen Lua wall-mounted rimless pan
- Pietra grey, solid marble single-piece sink
- Dornbracht, brushed dark platinum, siphon
- Corston Claremont wall light, bronze and porcelain
- West One, Bronze Oslo round mirror
- Farrow and Ball Scallop paired with Farrow and Ball Etruscan Red
- Grohe Tectron touch-free flush plate
- Mandarin Stone, Fitz Marble floor tiles
150 Million years in the making
Portland stone was laid down in the warm, shallow seas of the Late Jurassic, some 145 to 150 million years ago, as countless ooids and shell fragments settled on the seabed and slowly cemented into limestone on what is now the Isle of Portland in Dorset. It has been worked there for centuries, but it was Sir Christopher Wren's choice of the stone to rebuild the City after the Great Fire of 1666 - culminating in St Paul's Cathedral - that made it London's defining building material. Within the quarry face the stone divides into distinct beds. The Roach lies above the finer Whitbed and Basebed and is the most characterful of the three: a creamy-white oolitic limestone dense with fossil shells, including the turreted gastropods known locally as 'Portland Screws', and open voids left where shells have long since dissolved away. Historically reserved for breakwaters, coastal walls and other demanding environments, Roach is now valued for that same texture - each block a direct record of the seabed in which it formed. Albion Stone mine their Bowers Roach underground at the Jordans/Bowers Mine on Portland. At the Old Brewery House, we are proposing Bowers Roach for the roof terrace paving, laid on suspended pedestals.
What the project is delivering
Chronological summary
| Date | Matter | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 2026 | Broad pre-application | P26/S0789/PEM submitted covering the wider conservation and refurbishment strategy |
| Q2 2026 | Historic research | Planning, Listed Building and alteration history from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2003–04 assembled and reviewed |
| Q2 2026 | Existing-building analysis | Detailed survey undertaken of plans, fabric, windows, basement, roof and existing office accommodation |
| Q2 2026 | Pre-app response | Broad support received for restorative/external works; specific concerns identified over parts of the roof/loft package |
| Q2 2026 | Cohanim office | Old Brewery House became Cohanim Architecture's new Henley office |
| Q2 2026 | P26/S1216/LB | Listed Building Consent granted for replacement of modern kitchenette and WC fixtures |
| Q2–Q3 2026 | Historic research | 2003–04 drawings and specifications used to distinguish modern interventions from earlier fabric |
| Q3 2026 | P26/S2366/LB | Listed Building Consent granted for façade conservation works; Heritage Officer described the works as an enhancement |
| Q3 2026 | Rear roof strategy | Focused pre-application prepared for removal of modern rear roof, roof terrace and reinstatement of historic opening |
| Q3 2026 | Basement strategy | Pre-application developed to increase basement headroom using modern slab and ceiling fabric while retaining historic arches and piers |
| Q3 2026 | Loft strategy | Dormers reduced and repositioned; prominent rooflight withdrawn; staircase reconsidered using new fabric evidence |
| Q3 2026 | Internal conservation | Separate pre-application prepared for panelling, joinery and decorative repairs with paint-analysis safeguards |
| Q3 2026 | Windows / shutters | 24-window survey used to establish a repair-first conservation strategy and assess reinstatement of shutters |
| Q3 2026 | Environmental strategy | Passive measures and fully internal VRV comfort cooling developed to minimise intervention to historic elevations |
| Q3 2026 | P26/S3552/PEO | Rear roof terrace pre-application response: supported in principle by both the Heritage Officer and Case Officer, with the sash-style terrace door praised as an ingenious solution and the reinstated opening recognised as a heritage benefit |
| Q3 2026 | P26/S3585/PEM | Basement pre-application response: supported in principle by both the Heritage Officer and Case Officer, with the removal of modern fabric ahead of excavation commended as a proportionate approach and the works expected to proceed under Listed Building Consent alone |
| 2026–ongoing | Phased refurbishment | Further Listed Building, planning and technical packages being progressed while the building remains in office use |
Quotes
"The proposal to recover available headroom through the removal of modern fabric before considering excavation is welcomed as a proportionate approach that seeks to minimise intervention."
Pre-application response, Heritage Officer, South Oxfordshire District Council, Q3 2026