Oak Refectory Dining Table
Oak Refectory Dining Table
Antique Farmhouse Refectory Table.
A good early 19th Century farmhouse refectory table with excellent colour and patination, exhibiting classic style features common to rural furniture of the period. The unusually long rectangular farmhouse table with a four-plank top with cleated ends, resting on tapered legs and features shaped aprons with decorative cut-outs, adding a subtle elegance to its otherwise utilitarian design. A single drawer is at each end, one with a brass pull handle, typical for storage of cutlery or linens.
This kind of table was traditionally used in country kitchens or dining rooms, offering both dining and work surface functions. Its sturdy construction and honest, practical design make it as functional today as it was over a century ago. There is a paper label on the underside:- George Hilton & Sons Ltd., Haywards Heath, C.P. Wykeham Martin.
The price is for the table only, the Archers Hall archery storage bench is being sold separately.
George Hilton & Sons Ltd. was founded in 1882 by George Hilton, a trained cabinet-maker and upholsterer. Born in Folkington, Hilton served his apprenticeship in Hastings before seeking an opportunity to establish his own business. In 1882, he visited Haywards Heath, where he found a small shop in Sussex Square that he deemed suitable. There, he laid the foundations of what would become a highly successful and long-standing local enterprise.
Originally specialising in upholstery, cabinetmaking, and house furnishings, the firm steadily expanded over the decades. It later branched into removals and warehousing, and eventually evolved into Hiltons Department Store, a familiar presence in the town for over a century. The company operated until around 1988, by which time it had become a key part of the community's commercial and social fabric.
Records and memorabilia from George Hilton & Sons, chronicling their history from 1872 to 1992, are preserved at the West Sussex Record Office, offering a fascinating insight into the growth of this family-run business and its enduring legacy in Haywards Heath
Dimensions:
1800-1849
Circa 1800
Oak
United Kingdom
Good condition. Handle missing on one of the drawers, top is loose at one end. From the markings underneath, the table top planks had a previous use before.
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