Skip to content

hardware

2012

Mr. Biggs

Mr. Biggs, 77 Atlantic Road, Brixton, Borough of Lambeth, London SW9, 2012 • Charming DIY / family portraits mash-up in deepest Brixton. Not sure what “From A Pinto A Anchor” […]
Mr. Biggs

2017

W.E. Price

W.E. Price, 25-27 High Street, Knighton, Powys, Wales, 2017 • Charming cluster of blue-and-white homewares shops in the steep town centre.
W.E. Price

2017

Bunner

Bunner, Arthur Street, Montgomery, Powys, Wales, 2017 • Edwardian-fronted traditional ironmongers founded in 1892 and still run by the same family. Still a well-used local store, it’s jam-packed and museum-like […]
Bunner

2017

Tool Lodge

Tool Lodge, 71 Westbourne Grove, City of Westminster, London W2, 2017 • Sounds (and looks) like an ironic 1970s throwback hipster bar but is actually a genuine 1970s throwback hardware […]
Tool Lodge

2006

Peace Mini-Market

Peace Mini-Market, 17 & 19-21 Leytonstone Road, Stratford, Borough of Newham, London E15, 2006 • Love the name and teetering stacks of pans. It’s next door to yesterday’s fancy-fonted builder’s merchant, […]
Peace Mini-Market

2016

W. Austin

W. Austin, 300 Garratt Lane, Earlsfield, Borough of Wandsworth, London SW18, 2016 • I was alerted to this two-part wooden-shuttered lawnmower-cum-saw-sharpening gem by the excellent Instagram feed of Steve Wilde, aka @SteveWilde. […]
W. Austin

2016

Kenon

Kenon, 360 Old Kent Road, Borough of Southwark, London SE1, 2016 • Traditional plumber’s merchant with magnets in its logo (once a common hardware store motif), and an artistic display of […]
Kenon

2001

Robert I. Perry

Robert I. Perry, 66 Croydon Road, Caterham, Surrey CR3, 2001 • Why do closed-down shops always seem to have scary circus posters in the window? Despite the planning notice, this […]
Robert I. Perry

2002

Hargoss

Hargoss, 56 High Street, Walton-on-Thames. Surrey, 2002 • Great name, great font. Now ‘The Local’ off licence.
Hargoss

2011

B&Q (Whetstone)

B&Q (Whetstone), 1201 High Road, Whetstone, Borough of Barnet, London N20, 2011 • Matching berries and sign, nice! They’ve since cut back the bush, the fools.
B&Q (Whetstone)

2014

Pound + Store

Pound + Store, 316 Neasden Lane, Borough of Brent, London NW10, 2014 • Extremely crammed pound emporium with enormous Edwardian-style font. Not sure if the “plus” is part of their name, […]
Pound + Store

2006

S.N.H. Trade Centre

S.N.H. Trade Centre, 7 The Store, Albion Road, Birchington-on-Sea, Kent, 2006 • A subtly asymmetric roofline on what is presumably an old grain or hop store. It’s a long structure with attractive chequered brickwork on the […]
S.N.H. Trade Centre

2001

Cranes

Cranes, 11 Thrale Road, Borough of Wandsworth, London SW16, 2001 • How marvellous, a shop dedicated almost entirely to old lady shopping trolleys. You can see it here in 2014, looking […]
Cranes

2002

Street Value

Street Value, 7 The Broadway, Crawley, West Sussex, 2002 • Art Nouveau cut price shop in 1960s new town. The round-cornered window and discotastic Arnold Bocklin font were later replaced, according […]
Street Value

2014

Romanys

Romanys, 51 Brewer Street, City of Westminster, London W1, 2014 • Example of a useful old Soho shop that’s still there, a rapidly diminishing group. I included the bloke because […]
Romanys

2003

Thomas Brothers

Thomas Brothers, 798-804 Holloway Road, Archway, Borough of Islington, London N19, 2003 and 2014 (bottom image) • Enormous and long-standing corner builders’ merchant with great 3D plastic lettering that just […]
Thomas Brothers

2002

Abacus Hardware

Abacus Hardware, 215 Streatham High Road, Borough of Lambeth, London SW16, 2002 • I don’t think it actually sold abacuses, though it looks like it might have done. Long gone, it […]
Abacus Hardware

2013

The Tool Box

The Tool Box, ghost sign above 3 Church Street, Kingston upon Hull, 2013 • Faded wooden ghost sign on a boarded up shop. Not all of Hull is boarded up – […]
The Tool Box

2001

J.P. Wheeler

J.P. Wheeler, 55 Westway, Caterham, Surrey, 2001 • An amazing old-fashioned emporium packed with a huge range of non-printing sundries, but displaying the usual parsimonious Surrey approach to Christmas lights. Google […]
J.P. Wheeler

2002

Campbells

Campbells, 513 Battersea Park Road, Borough of Wandsworth, London SW11, 2002 • Gotta love a logo made out of nuts and screws – and happily, it’s still there.
Campbells

2010

RF Potts

RF Potts, 66-68 Babington Lane, Derby, Derbyshire, 2010 • Not as old-fashioned as its faux-digital font suggests, it even has a website which offers a virtual tour, says they were established in 1933. […]
RF Potts

2001

S. Tray Ironmonger

S. Tray Ironmonger, 249 Mitcham Lane, Borough of Wandsworth, London SW16, 2001 • Traditional ironmongers with traditional name, now long gone (it became half of Spa – note, not Spar – […]
S. Tray Ironmonger

2012

J. Wilson & Co.

J. Wilson & Co, 96 David Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow G40, Scotland, 2012 • Dinky yellow works brightening up a Scottish industrial estate, in the same row as yesterday’s unit.     […]
J. Wilson & Co.

2012

Charles A

Charles A, David Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow G40, Scotland, 2012 • Superannuated sawtooth-roofed works unit with sawn-off name, now part of a tool hire establishment.
Charles A

2003

Santana

Santana, 61 Church Street, City of Westminster, London NW8, 2003 • You don’t get many hardware stores named after Latin-American rock fusion bands. Now with far more boring logo.
Santana