Yorkshire Building Society

Now shop. Early C19, converted to shop C20. Red brick,
rendered, colour-washed and scored to imitate ashlar.
Roof of mixed red and black-glazed pantiles

In 1845 this shop and house was occupied by Charlotte Harvey, a “fancy repository” according to the 1869 Post Office Directory, and it is possible that she still lived there until her death in 1871. Her husband James died in 1842. He was a hairdresser and perfumer; she took on that profession after his death.

Between 1894 and 1974 it was the office of the Swaffham Urban District Council and the offices of solicitors Winter and Martin.

As may be seen on the photograph it was also the town’s emigration office. Between 1860 and 1921 the town lost almost a third of its population due to emigration, migration, ill health and early 20th century wars. Emigration was often offered free by agricultural and other trade unions.

In the late 1950s and 60s Henry Edward Tuck traded here as a motorcycle dealer.

The Norwich and Peterborough Building Society took over before 1987 when they expanded the premises until 2011… … when it became the Yorkshire Building Society During renovations in the 1960s or 70s a date stone of 1835 was found with the initials J.H – possibly James Harvey?