The interesting variations on Classical capitals in my previous post jogged my memory of something I’d seen last summer in Sherborne, Dorset. It’s a corner building, dating from some time at the end of the 19th century, designed as either s short row of shops or as a single shop. I’m inclined to suspect the latter: one large shop, owned by someone with a penchant for elaborate decoration. It was originally a single-storey structure, but within that limited scope its builder threw the decorative kitchen sink at it. A series of plate-glass windows are framed by pairs of attached shafts, each supporting floral capitals and, above that, a richly moulded entablature with some carving above the capitals. Higher up still are rectangular terminations that would probably have acted as finials before the upper floor was added. The lintels above the windows are carved too.
The capitals are a mass of flowers and fruit – so much of it that the vegetation spills into the middle, completely filling any space between the pair to link the area above the twin columns with leaves and blooms. Most shop owners did not run to anything this lavish carved in stone. Late Victorian shop fronts are more often made of wood, or occasionally cast iron, and these less costly materials can look highly decorative and eye-catching. Whoever built this wanted something a cut – or two – above the average. Later owners preferred a more more modern front on the more prominent end facade of the building, but the long range that faces on to the side street is still there, reminding us of what the Victorians could do when they tried. The full nine yards, as they say – and a little more still.
Note See the Comments section for interesting extra information about this building, which began as a draper's shop before developing into a department store. Thank you to my readers and commenters.
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This seems to have been the premises of the Sherborne Drapery and Outfitting Stores. At the website of the Sherborne Museum shop the following publication is listed, with an image of the original single storey building on the cover. No affiliation – I am not Barry Brock.
Sherborne Draper, the Sherborne Drapery and Outfitting Stores - Barry Brock
Sherborne Draper Size: A5 - 28 pages
Price: £3.50
The building which housed the Sherborne Drapery and Outfitting Stores has an exuberant exterior of pilasters and plinths and carved foliated design. This is the history of the premises and the people who worked there, and follows a trail which embraces Mrs Beeton and her cookbook, the Epsom racecourse, and the 1940 bombing raid on Sherborne.
Alan Boyd: Thank you! Obviously, I missed this. It sounds like an interesting history. I'm not surprised it was a draper's premises: drapers often went for large, showy shops, which they sometimes expanded into early department stores.
It was a department store. My Grandma (who passed away just this July) worked there. She used to tell me stories of how she dressed the windows and selected clothes for the customers. She visited London fashion shows on the train (she particularly enjoyed labosh meals on the dining carriage) to select the clothes they would sell) and she used to travel to surrounding villages to get orders for clothing for special occasions and then take options to customers to try on. She spoke of the kitchen in the store that would serve lunch to the staff who lived on premises but because she was such a good employee the boss liked her and would let her eat there too even though she didn't live there. She said the other staff resented her for it. She had many fond memories of that shop. She gave her job to become a farmers wife and mother as was the done thing in those days.
Anon: Thank you so much for your interesting comment. I am always fascinated, and sometimes moved, by stories from people who lived or worked in the buildings I write about.
You're welcome, I was thinking of my Grandma on what would have been her 91st birthday and seeing if I cpuld find any information on the store when I found your post
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