Leyton – Store 129 / 2024
612-614a Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, London E10 7DL
One of the early London stores, this one opened in 1923 in the Bakers Arms district on Lea Bridge Road, with a striking Art Deco facade. It was an L-Shaped store with the main entrance on Lea Bridge Road, and a smaller side entrance on the High Road.
Leyton Woolworths 1939 – front
In these photos taken in 1939, the windows had been neatly taped up for safety, to prepare for the war. As a result, both frontages stayed intact during the blitz.
Leyton Woolworths 1939 – High Road side
Somewhere along the line you can see the Woolworth fascia got a sixties makeover, just looking at the typeface used.
Leyton Woolworths 1967 – 1975
Above three photos – source: Historic England
In the 2000s, this was one of the stores chosen to be a general store, and had it’s store number renamed from 129 to 2024.
Leyton Woolworths 2008
Source: Lock, D.
Then it was tranformed back to a normal Woolworths until its closure in December 2008.
Woolworths Leyton 2008
Source: Flickr
Today the main part of the building is an Iceland, and it is pleasing to see the Art Deco facade remains.
Leyton Iceland – Former Woolworths – 2017
Source: London Postcode Walks
The High Road side entrance is now a Greggs.
Leyton Greggs – High Road – former Woolworths
Source: All in London
Finchley – Store 727
105 Ballards Lane, Finchley, London N3 6JR
This store opened in 1938, in a familiar Woolworth architectural style (see far left):
Finchley Woolworths 1965 – Ballards Lane
Source: Francis Frith
And here it is today, the top half unchanged and clearly recognisable – now Superdrug and what looks like a closed down bakery.
Finchley Superdrug 2017 – Former Woolworths
Source: Property Link
Caledonian Road – Store 892
259a Caledonian Road, London N1 1EE
Another short post for you, this store opened in 1955. Very similar in style to the Shoreditch store that opened 2 years later. Today it is an Iceland store.
Caledonian Road Iceland 2017 – Former Woolworths
Source: LDS
Shoreditch – Store 982
142/146 Hoxton Street, London N1 6SH
This is going to be the first of a few ‘short but sweet’ posts, as I find it fascinating that there were so many London Woolworths stores that we see day to day without realising. Here is the Shoreditch store, which opened in 1957. Hoxton Street was severely bombed in the Blitz, so many streets had to be rebuilt. Here it looks as though Woolworths purpose built this one in the late 50s. I don’t know when it closed, possibly in the 1980s. Today it is a Poundland.
Shoreditch Poundland 2017 – Former Woolworths
Source: LDS
