One of the oldest buildings in Wycombe is getting a new lease of life.

Parts of number 2-3 High Street were built in 1399.

It pre-dates all the other buildings in the town centre that have stood the test of time except for the parish church in Castle Street thought to have been built in 1087.

The two oldest shops have now been granted listed building consent and planning permission for work to make them good for another 100 years.

Their earliest heyday was in the 1600s when the present buildings were part of an inn called The Wheatsheaf. In the 1700s it was a coffee house.

By the beginning of the last century, the ground floor had morphed into The Old Wheatsheaf Pharmacy. Later it became a tobacconist and dry cleaners. More recently it has been a fashion shop with a side line in lingerie.

The two upper floors have been largely empty since the 1960s.

The plan now is to turn the clock back to the good old days, restore the Wheatsheaf name, use the ground floor as a café bar and create a community hub on the two floors above.

The building is owned by the council. It was purchased by the former Wycombe District Council before the administration was absorbed into the present overarching Buckinghamshire Council.

The previous owners of 2-3 High Street were the Buckinghamshire Historic Buildings Trust, a charitable non-profit making company that’s part of a larger organisation set up to preserve historic buildings by bringing them into everyday use for the benefit of local communities.

In this case, the cash from the sale of the buildings to the council will help to fund their renovation.

Patrick Hogan, Buckinghamshire council’s cabinet member for culture, says the venture to save the historic buildings from further decay has been a joint effort. “None of this just happens,” he commented. “It has been an excellent collaboration between a considerable number of people: the Trust’s team of historic building experts, architects, surveyors, structural engineers, cost and business consultants as well as council officers with the support of council members.”

The renovation was instigated by the council’s conservation officer Sarah Oborn. “Sarah has a keen eye for neglected buildings warranting restoration,” Cllr Hogan says. “She felt the Wheatsheaf could be rejuvenated for a use that revealed its past and showcased its history. She drew it to the trust’s attention which led to a successful bid for a grant from the Architectural Heritage Fund.”

He added: “We also have our meticulous heritage and conservation team to thank for a strong guiding hand in protecting another piece of the town’s history - the preservation of Brunel’s engine shed by the station.”

The council is soon to re-launch what used to be called the Malcolm Dean Design Awards. The scheme was named after a previous Wycombe council architect to celebrate high standards of craftsmanship in new buildings and restoration projects within the council’s catchment area.

When it is restored, The Wheatsheaf will hopefully become a strong contender for one of the categories in the 2021 edition of Wycombe’s re-born award scheme to celebrate outstanding design.

Other news this week:

n Chicheley Hall, the Grade I listed Buckinghamshire mansion used as a conference centre by the world’s top scientists is for sale. The agents at Knight Frank are inviting offers over £7m for the hotel with 48 en suite bedrooms, meeting rooms, converted coach house and Grade II* listed converted stable blocks. The mansion was built between 1720 and 1724. Knight Frank’s Emma Cleugh says the building has recently been restored but still has many original features. “It is one of the most complete surviving examples of an early Georgian mansion.”

n The bills that stack up when you move home have been cut by half if you’re a homeowner in the south east, according to online comparison site Really Moving. The average overall cost of services used when you are buying and selling a property in the region has fallen by 53 per cent from £16,450 before the stamp duty holiday was announced by the chancellor on July 8 to £7,680 now. Rising property prices account for the average increase in agents’ fees, conveyancing fees and the cost of a survey. On balance, however, homemovers in the south east are better off by an average of £8,722, the largest saving out of all the regions in the UK. The researchers analysed data from 239,000 quotes to produce the figures.

Really Moving CEO Rob Houghton says the Chancellor’s stamp duty giveaway has reduced up-front costs dramatically but he warns: “While it’s best to act quickly to take advantage of the stamp duty savings, buyers should also bear in mind that we’re probably seeing a temporary spike in house prices so for some it may be better to wait until the holiday ends when prices are widely expected to return to a more normal level.”

The only losers in the financial stakes associated with buying a new home this autumn are first time buyers, says the financial expert.

“They’re facing increased house prices and greater moving costs than a few months ago, making it even harder to save enough for a deposit and to cover the up-front costs of buying a home.”