32-34 St John Street

▪ Grade II listed former Star & Garter pub

▪ Listing suggests building is early 19th century

▪ History of Star & Garter 1720s-1842

▪ Corn & seed merchants for more than 100 years

▪ Potters ran the business for about 60 years

Numbers 32-34 are on the south side of the street opposite to Millennium Square.

The Building

It is a Grade II listed building which according to the listing is early 19^thcentury. The history of the Star & Garter though goes back to the 18^thcentury (see below) which suggests that it could be older although it could have been rebuilt.

The painted brick building has corniced/decorated eaves and is three storeys high. On the first and second floors there are three sashed windows with glazing bars. The central windows have moulded architraves (surrounding moulded columns and lintel).  On the ground floor, the shopfront on the right/west side is 19^th century has flanking pillars. It originally contained one large pane of glass rather than 10 smaller windows that can be seen today.

The central double door has a large semi-circular fanlight. The door on the left/east side is a modern addition.

The History of its Occupation and Use

The earliest mention of the Star & Garter found in newspapers is in 1772 when Mrs. Bott was the landlady. The building was advertised for sale in 1784 (see below left) and then advertised to let in 1789 (see below right) and it is possible that it was rebuilt between these dates. The latter advertisement advises that the Star & Garter as “well known for sixty years” which indicates its history goes back to the 1720s.

Joseph Oakden was the landlord in 1794 being succeeded by his wife who would remainthere until 1814. It was advertised for sale again in 1815 while William Robinson was the occupant and he would remain there for about 15 years. Jeremiah Haywood and Thomas Roberts would follow as proprietors in the 1830s and 1840s respectively.

It was advertised to let again in 1842 (see below) but the Star & Garter receives no further mention after this.

The 1849 tithe records that Septimus Bradley was the landowner with he and another being the occupiers of “two houses, shop and garden”. The other was the draper John Barnes who is listed in the 1851 census next to Septimus Bradley. Since Septimus Bradley had his grocer’s shop on the north side of St John St almost opposite to 32-34 St John St, it is thought that it was John Barnes that occupied the shop on the streetfront.

Septimus Bradley probably lived here until his death in 1870 and his elder brother’s grandson Joseph is recorded as living on the premises in 1881. He would later go on to run the family grocer’s business.

By about 1860 John Barnes had moved being replaced by the brothers Robert and William Baimbridge (also spelt Bainbridge) who were corn and seed merchants. The association of 32-34 St John St with corn, seed and animal feed merchants would continue for more than 100 years.

By William 1864 was running the business on his own and when he passed away in 1875 his wife Sarah carried it on until her death in 1881. Shortly afterwards, Joseph Bradley posted an advertisement for the sale of “A capital Corn, Flour and Seed Business” (see below left). Thomas John Potter bought the business which would remain in the Potter family for about 60 years. He was followed by his son James Burns Potter in 1912 who would run the business until about 1940 when he retired due to ill health.

Note that the advert shown below right gives a Market Place address for Thomas J. Potter’s business even though census records and commercial directories place his business on St John St. It is though that a Market Place address was perhaps considered more prestigious than a St John St address.

For most of the 1940s, William Richardson ran the corn merchant business before the Potters sold the business to Frank Wright Ltd in 1948 who remained on St John St until at least 1963.

Since the 1960s, various businesses have occupied the premises including Foster’s Sporting Services (1974-86), Track & Trail at 32 St John St (from no later than 1996 until 2019), Opus Gallery at 34 St John St (from no later than 2009 until 2017). Since 2020, 32-34 St John St has been occupied by Beaumont’s café and bar.

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