Doghealth

House. c1730-40, on site of early c16 house.
Grade 2 listed

From the early 1930s to 1961, and of a farming background, Henry William Leonard ran a dairy from no. 41 before handing the business to his son Derek.

Robert Cork was a tailor in Swaffham on London Street 1841 but we can only place him at no.41 in 1861 with his mother and sister, a dressmaker. By 1871 the mother had died and Robert’s sister was a milliner and dressmaker.

By 1881 the sister had married George Powley, also tailor, who had become head of house. An assistant dressmaker was also living there. By 1901 they were still living in the same house but were retired. By 1911 both men had died.

In 1991 the shop became Pedlar’s Home Care and then Pedlars DIY after a move from a nearby building by the proprietor Tony Bolderstone. He had been trading in Swaffham for 18 years and was for several years President of the Swaffham Chamber of Trade.

Hardware took its place between 2012 and 2016

Because of the COVID lockdown in 2020 and its consequences the then owner of a woman’s clothing store, Artichoke, Sarah Simonds, found that she had to re-assess her business strategies to promote online shopping. She moved her shop to London Street, opening just four days a week, which allows her scope to run a successful online site.

Other shops at no.41 have been:

• Chimes, Jewellers, ca.1984
• Digital Phones, ca.1985
• B. W. Jewellery, ca.2005
• One Hour, Photo Shop,ca. 2009.
• Picture Framing and Printing Solutions,
  ca.2015
• Doghealth: 2023