Denmark Street contains many original 16/17th Century cottages which are now shops. No 22 is a Grade II listed building, believed to be the ”Old Oakingham Whurkhouse” (now Kaanaanmaa jewellers). However, records are scarce and the earliest reference to date is a 1776 inventory by Benjamin Beaver. Further evidence does occur later in the century, but with some confusion as to the exact location.
The building is a fine example of an early 16th Century timber framed structure with later brick infill, altered in 17/18th Century, but retaining its interesting architectural features. The small window in the passageway on the north east side on the first floor is said to be where bodies
of the dead were lowered to the street below beyond the gaze of the inmates.
The workhouse was believed to consist of three premises – one with one room up and one down (no fireplace), two with one room down and communal sleeping upstairs. A fireplace existed in the kitchen, with a small side building for washing. Water was drawn by pump. The buildings would have been maintained by a Master.
In 1776 between 16 and 22 inmates were catered for with few beds, most sleeping on the floor. The inmates from Denmark Street were moved to the new workhouse in Barkham Road (now Wokingham Hospital) sometime after that was built in 1849, along with inmates from Wargrave and Swallowfield.
Because of its contribution to Wokingham’s heritage, this building is part of the Wokingham Society’s Blue Plaque Trail. A leaflet giving details of all of the buildings on the Trail can be obtained from the Wokingham Town Hall Information Centre and Wokingham Library. An electronic version is available from www.wokinghamsociety.org.uk The Trail is also available on a downloadable App called Wokingham Town History.
Wokingham Town Museum Unique Identifier: WTH0319