Shops in Harbury in the Early 1900s

Butchers shops

Mr. Alcock’s at the corner of the High Street is now Phoenix House. An earlier butcher there was Mr. Horley. Next door, at the house opposite the Co-op, was Mr. Bird, formerly Mr. Sprawson. The house opposite the Crown Inn was a butcher’s shop, and the last butcher there was Mr. Cowley. There was also a very old butcher’s shop standing in what is now the car park of the Old New Inn.

Bakers shops

• Farm Street bakery was owned by Mr. A. Thornicroft (this was where No. 17 Farm Street now stands).
• Chapel Street bakery was where Mr. Mugleston’s shop now is. This was worked by the Thornicroft family from 1868. Before that date by Mr. W. Paine.
• The Co-op bakery was where the Co-op grocery department now is.
• The Top Shop (Post Office) bakery was worked by Mr. Knight.
• The Bull Ring Garage was first built as a bakery but only worked for a short time.

Blacksmiths

The village had two Blacksmiths. One at the corner of Chapel Street and Park Lane (Now Alverne Cars). The other one was at Binswood End on the site of what is now Old Forge House.

Grocers and general shops

The first Co-op shop was in Mill Street where No 12 now stands (next door to Mr. Trice’s farm yard).

The Bull Ring Stores was run by Miss. Knight, and afterwards by Mr. Messer. The drapery department was the part now used by the Midland Bank. The shop in Church Street, now the post office, was also owned by Mr. Knight.

The Post Office in the early days was run by the Cooper family, and was what is now the Newsagents run by Mr. I.S. Krayem. There was also a high-class drapery shop run by Mr. Green in Chapel Street. Mr. Lindop now runs a Drug Store on the premises.

Sweet shops

There were two sweet shops in Chapel Street, No. 9 run by Mr. & Mrs. Bayliss, and No 2 & 3 run by Mr. & Mrs. Treen. No. 2 & 3 is now a Hair Fashion Salon. There was a small sweet shop at the end of South Parade. It was the end cottage of a row of very pretty cottages. (No. 5 South Parade is the approximate site of it). During the 1930’s Mrs. Boynton ran a small sweet shop on the left hand side of Binswood End, now called Sloane Cottage.

Cycle agents

There was a cycle agents and repair shop at the corner of Chapel Street and Mill Street on the site of the present Supermarket, the owner was called Mr. Paxton. There was also a cycle agent and repair shop in Ivy Lane owned by Mr. Blackford. This is now called Ivy House.

Harbury Heritage reference HM1346