To spot Burton's, look for a sleek, pale stone-fronted building with wide glass shop windows and the bold "BURTON" sign above, right at the corner of High Street and Market Street.
Now, as you stand in front of this striking building, close your eyes for a moment and picture 1937. The world is changing fast, jazz music is playing, and men in sharp suits fill the bustling streets. Suddenly, you hear the tap of polished shoes on the gleaming black marble outside the brand-new Burton’s shop. This very building was crafted by Nathaniel Martin, the in-house architect for Burton's, in the Art Deco style-think bold lines, smooth stone, shining brass, and huge glass windows drawing every passerby's eye.
Burton wasn’t just a name back then; it was a sensation. Founded by Montague Burton-who started with just a single tailoring store-the company grew until it dressed half the country and even clothed British soldiers in both World Wars. Back then, every British town hoped for a Burton’s. They were more than clothes shops: each store, including this one, was built to impress with polished marble, precise brass details, and grand display windows that turned heads and emptied wallets.
When the store opened, a crowd gathered to witness the foundation stone being laid-inscribed by Raymond Montague Burton himself, as if to say, “Yes, fashion royalty has arrived!” For decades, locals shopped here for their Sunday best, the windows glowing with sales signs and smart suits.
Even now, though the burly mannequins are long gone and the Burton’s logo has faded from memory, this building hardly seems to have aged at all. Almost every detail-down to the shimmer of glass and the feel of that black marble-remains as stylish as the day it opened. Funny to think, the designs that once spread across the UK have all but vanished; this rare survivor stands almost untouched, earning its Grade II* listing as a tiny time machine of retail glamour.
After a bit of drama in recent years (imagine local councillors racing to save those sparkling stone facades), the shop now has a new tenant. But next time you walk past, listen closely... a ghostly shuffle of shoe leather and the swish of a new suit sleeve might just greet you from 1937’s grand opening!
