Assembly Rooms
1 Market Place
House, now shop. Late C18, converted
to shop mid C19. Grade II listed
In 1845 George and Alfred Betts had a house and shop here, which by 1851 was a grocer’s and draper’s shop run by George alone.
Henry Arnold, a grocer’s assistant in 1851, took over the business in 1854 and expanded both the drapery and grocery side.
He died in 1885 but the family business continued until 1903 following the death of his son Henry Thomas.
The shop, together with the shop next door, was taken over by Frederick and Herbert Banner, previously on London Street, when they moved their grocery store to here until around 1960.
Shortly afterwards they released the corner shop, retaining what is currently Premier Travel next door.
In the meantime no.14 was for a short time the home of the Electricity Board and The Woolwich Building Society until 1965 when it was taken over by Basil Starling.
The building was taken over by Leonard Brittan, a lettings and management business in 1971.
At some time it was the home of the Bradford and Bingley Building Society.
The Starling family fruit and vegetable business began in 1949 in Castle Acre supplying homes in Swaffham and Marham by van. The service became a mobile shop and in 1957 a shop on London Street.
The business then moved to no.14 and in 1970 moved again to the other side of the Marketplace where it still is.
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