Shops and businesses

By the 1870s, Broad Street and the surrounding streets were home to many shops, businesses and public houses. Among the shops were grocers, butchers, stationers, pawnbrokers, jewellers, watchmakers, drapers, bootmakers, shoemakers, sweetshops and chemists. By the early 20th century, the town also had fish and chip shops, restaurants and furniture shops.

Shopkeepers competed to win the custom of the local population of miners, steelworkers and their families. Most of the shops were run by independent tradespeople but some were early examples of ‘chain stores’. These included the Maypole Dairy and the India and China Tea Company.

…unmistakeable evidence of the approaching Christmas was visible everywhere during the latter part of the week. The grocers, drapers, butchers and stationers seemed to have exerted their utmost skill in their endeavours to show the best advantage of the good things of the season.

Monmouthshire Merlin, 29 Dec 1871

1 / 21
  • Maypole Dairy, 35 Broad Street, Blaenavon (Acknowledgement: Pat Morgan Collection)
  • Herbert Stanley Witchell was a bootmaker and also kept the Forge Hammer Assembly Rooms in Broad Street (Acknowledgement: Maggie Beynon Collection)
  • Herbert’s wife, Beatrice Mary Tong came from a well-known family of auctioneers from the nearby town of Brynmawr (Acknowledgement: Maggie Beynon Collection)
  • An advertisement for Witchell’s boots (Acknowledgement: Blaenavon Parish Magazine)
  • Herbert and Beatrice Witchell are buried in St. Peter’s Churchyard (Acknowledgement: N.A. Matthews)
  • A ticket for a charitable Christmas concert held at the Blaenavon Town Hall, Lion Street, in 1894, organised by the English and Colonial Meat Company (Acknowledgement: Pat Morgan Collection)
  • Advertisement for Edwards and Fowler 1909 (Acknowledgement: Blaenavon Parish Magazine)
  • Advertisement for Edwards and Fowler 1894 (Acknowledgement: Blaenavon Parish Magazine)
  • The Archer family were well-known painters, decorators and hairdressers. Several of the family’s gravestones can be seen in St. Peter’s Churchyard. This is the grave of George Holly Archer, who died in 1916 whilst serving in World War One (Acknowledge
  • Mildred Clara Davies, daughter of H.M. Davies, took over her father’s business in the early 20th century, trading as a chemist at 69-70 Broad Street for many years (Acknowledgement: Pat Morgan Collection)
  • A receipt for items bought from Jacob Evans, Ironmonger, 106 Broad Street (1907) (Acknowledgement: Blaenavon Community Museum)
  • Morris Hairdressing and Shaving Saloon, Albert Street (Acknowledgement: Pat Morgan Collection)
  • The gravestone of William and Margaret Snook, jewellers of 46 Broad Street (Acknowledgement: N.A. Matthews)
  • The gravestone of Charles Jordan, bootmaker of 20 Broad Street. Mr Jordan was a trustee and supporter of the Workmen’s Hall (Acknowledgement: N.A. Matthews)
  • T. Jones and Son Ironmonger, Lion Street (Acknowledgement: Blaenavon Community Museum)
  • Blaenavon Post Office, Broad Street (Acknowledgement: Blaenavon Community Museum)
  • Broom’s Confectionary Shop, King Street (Acknowledgement: Pat Morgan Collection)
  • Fowler’s Drapery and Outfitters, 26 Broad Street, Blaenavon (Acknowledgement: Pat Morgan Collection)
  • W.J. Simmonds, bootmaker, Broad Street (Acknowledgement: Pat Morgan Collection)
  • Cook Grocery Store, 1914 (Acknowledgement: Pat Morgan Collection)
  • The Witchell family established a bootmakers’ business in 1840. This photograph shows their shop in Broad Street (Acknowledgement: Maggie Beynon Collection)