Work was recently completed on the Weigh House in French Street.

Located between St John’s School and Broad Lane, the Weigh House was known in medieval times as the Peysage House, from the French word peser, which means to weigh.

Built in the mid-13th century, it was owned by the Town Corporation and housed the Royal Tron, or weighing beam, and an official set of weights.

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Merchandise, mainly wool, was weighed to assess its value and the customs due, before being sent to other ports across Europe. A standard wool bale, sized 8ft by 8ft, would consist of up to 250 fleeces.

It was very easy for unscrupulous sellers to lighten the centre of the bale – something that could only be detected by weighing it.

Weigh House (Image: SeeSouthampton)

In 1338, during the great raid on Southampton, the Royal Tron was stolen. It must have been replaced, as it was in use in 1566, when there were complaints that the scales were too weak to weigh ‘butts of currants’ and ‘pipes of prunes’.

After more than 300 years as a Weigh House, it was used for the next 300 years as a warehouse to store goods, ranging from potatoes and onions to coal and ice.

It was originally a single-storey building, the wooden first floor being added later.

The doorway in the west wall was added in the 15th century, cut into an earlier window, the arch of which can be seen above the doorway.

In the 1700s and 1800s a passageway ran by it to ten buildings, and a small courtyard known as Fives Court. After St John’s School was built next door in 1911, Fives Court was condemned as ‘unfit for habitation’, and the buildings around were cleared to extend the school playground; the importance of the House was recognised just in time to save it from demolition.

Warehouse 1600s - 1800s (Image: SeeSouthampton)

In 1927, it was acquired by the Council for St John’s school. Converted into the School Hall in 1936, it was only used for four years before it was badly damaged during the Blitz.

Its walls were reconstructed in 1975, and now the shell has been stabilised, so that it can continue to play its part in telling the story of Old Southampton.

A Cintec anchoring system has been sensitively inserted through the walls to stabilise the building, and loose stones removed and re-bedded or pinned, preventing further movement.

Previous cement mortar has been raked out, and replaced with lime mortar.

The west window, and the medieval window in the north wall, have been stabilised, and the existing cement caps that ran round the top of the walls have been removed and soft capping introduced in their place.

Weigh House vault (Image: SeeSouthampton)

Even the ironmongery to the windows and doorways has been upgraded.

As a contribution to this important Heritage work, Jack Wilson arranged for five organisations and businesses to sponsor a new information board on the railings outside.

More such boards are required at various places in the City – anyone interested in helping to make this happen, contact jack@seesouthampton.co.uk .

Adjacent to the Weigh House, and reached through it, is the Weigh House Vault, dated to at least the end of the fourteenth century, and one of the best-preserved wine vaults in Southampton.

A unique feature is a stone bench against each spur wall in the side recesses. Perhaps this area was where customers were invited to taste the wines before buying.

Access to the House and the Vault is possible on See Southampton and STGA guided tours, which leave at 10.30 and 1.30 from the Bargate on Saturdays and Sundays - ask your Guide whether they can include this.