St Neots, High Street c.1955

Photo ref: S37007

More about this scene

THE NEW century saw a renewed burst of building activity. The town, while remaining essentially small and with only a minimal growth in population, continued to spread eastwards. Shaftesbury Avenue was built up in 1904. On the north side of the Market Square Barclays Bank, which had taken over the local bank in 1896, erected an imposing new building in 1901. William Seward, a major businessman in the town during the early years of the century, built a new boot and shoe shop in the High Street in 1901 and followed this up with other new premises in 1904. The Royal Oak (now the Halifax Bank) was rebuilt in 1903. All this, together with Charles Wren's new fish shop in 1905, helped give the town centre a fresher and more modern face. Although so many of the old St Neots family businesses have disappeared, one that began in the early years of the 20th century still flourishes. In 1906 Frank Brittain opened a furniture shop in Eaton Ford. He moved into the building on St Neots Market Square that had once been the post office in April 1914 and subsequently into the High Street, where the present shop is still run by members of the family.