ONE of Hampshire s oldest pubs has been given permission to raise the height of its chimneys to avoid the risk of a devastating fire. Civic chiefs have approved an application to safeguard the Sir John Barleycorn by increasing the distance between the top of the chimneys and the pub s thatched roof. The 12th century building at Southampton Road, Cadnam, was originally a row of cottages - one of which was owned by the Purkiss family. One of their ancestors found the body of King William Rufus after he died during a hunting expedition in the New Forest in 1100. The body was placed on a cart and taken to Winchester Cathedral, where it was quickly buried by the monks.
The Sir John Barleycorn, Cadnam. A HAMPSHIRE pub wants to raise the height of its chimneys to reduce the risk of the thatched roof catching fire. An application relating to the Sir John Barleycorn in Cadnam has been submitted to the New Forest National Park Authority. The application says the scheme aims to restore the chimneys to their original height. It adds that the proposed works are critical in reducing the potential loss of historic materials or structure due to fire. The chimney heights were much greater than they are now. The reduced height is not solely due to the loss of masonry but is also as a result