St Paul’s Cray Woolworths – Store 797

60 Cotmandene Crescent, St Paul’s Cray, Kent BR5 2RG Woolworths opened in St Paul’s Cray, Kent, in 1953, opened by manager Charles Barkley. His daughter Carole shared his story on the Woolworths History and Photos group: “My father started in Slough as a Floorwalker – the manager was a Mr Garry. After the war I…

Broadstairs Woolworths – Store 780

27 High Street, Broadstairs, Kent CT10 2DG Woolworths opened in Broadstairs, Kent, in 1952. It was originally on Albion Street. This photo appears to be from the opening day. Source: Woolworths Museum “Harold Winbourne, the company architect… ‘tweaked’ the strict brand guidelines in a number of locations to get consent quickly. For example if local…

Blackfen (Sidcup) Woolworths – Store 748

13 Blackfen Parade, Blackfen Road, Sidcup, Kent DA15 9LX Woolworths opened in Blackfen, South East London, in 1939. It was part of a parade of shops. Source: yourlocalweb.co.uk Former store manager Matt Marshall remembers 748 Blackfen being his first store as a manager, approx 33 years ago. The store traded here for 70 years, closing…

Petts Wood Woolworths – Store 736

15 Chatsworth Parade, Petts Wood, Kent BR5 1DF Woolworths opened in Petts Wood in 1938, as part of a parade of shops. You can see the store on the left in this fantastic photo from the past. Source: The Orpington History Organisation Woolworths traded from this location for 70 years. Source: urban75.org It closed when…

Hayes (Kent) Woolworths – Store 720

7 Station Approach, Hayes, Kent BR2 7EQ Woolworths opened their 720th store in Hayes, Kent. It was part of a parade of shops. Source: Reddit.com This Woolworths was an early closure in the 1970s/80s. Today there is a Sainsburys Local in the old Woolworths unit. Source: Prideview Group

Downham Woolworths – Store 701

470 Bromley Road, Downham, Bromley, Kent BR1 4PN Woolworths opened in Downham in 1937. It was on a corner plot on Bromley Road. Source: facebook – Bromley Gloss Here’s a memory from former employee Eileen Wyatt, “I had my first Saturday job in that Woolies and was paid £1. 1s. 9d. I remember the big…

Welling Woolworths – Store 666

4 Bellegrove Road, Welling, Kent DA16 3PS Woolworths opened in Welling in 1936. Welling is in Kent on the South East edge of London. The store was close to Bexleyheath Woolworths – Store 390, and in later years Blackfen Woolworths – Store 748 . The Welling branch was a large store, purpose-built in a blocky…

Sevenoaks Woolworths – Store 632

124a-126 High Street, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1XB Woolworths opened in Sevenoaks in 1935 on the high street on the site of a former undertaker/upholsterer. They demolished the building and built this Georgian style building. Source: The Sevenoaks Society The store traded from here for 73 years, closing in December 2008. Source: photosam After Woolworths closed,…

Cliftonville Woolworths – Store 564

144 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, Margate, Kent CT9 2QW Woolworths opened in Cliftonville, Margate, in 1934. I don’t think this was a purpose-built store as it’s a big corner building shared with another shop (just cut off on the right of this photo). Source: Historic England Woolworths traded from here right until the end, closing in…

West Wickham Woolworths – Store 561

87 High Street, West Wickham, Kent BR4 0NZ Woolworths opened in West Wickham High Street in 1934. You can see it in the centre of this 1950s photo. It was purpose built in a style to fit with the new parade of shops. West Wickham grew from a village to a town in the 1930s. Source: Beckenham History…

Hythe Woolworths – Store 553

103 High Street, Hythe, Kent CT21 5JH Woolworths opened in the seaside town of Hythe in 1934 on the High Street. It was a small purpose-built store with the classic Woolworths architecture – red brick, central pediment and 5 bays. They traded from here for 74 years, closing in January 2009. It became a Pound…

Orpington Woolworths – Store 532

208 – 212 High Street, Orpington, Kent BR6 0LL Woolworths opened on Orpington High Street in January 1934. It was a purpose-built store with the classic architecture of 5 bays, red brick with a central pediment. Orpington Woolworths 1938 Source: topfoto.co.uk The store was extended 5 years later in March 1939. Another 25 years later…

Sidcup Woolworths – Store 531

35-37 High Street, Sidcup, Kent DA14 6EF Woolworths opened in Sidcup in 1933. It was a small purpose-built store on the High Street. Source: Bexley Borough Photos The store was extended to the right to make it larger, and the architecture on the upper floor was designed to match. Source: Simpson, A. Source: Facebook In…

Whitstable Woolworths – Store 489

34 – 36 High Street, Whitstable, Kent CT5 1BQ Woolworths opened in Whitstable in 1933. It was on the High Street in a purpose-built store with the classic architecture that I am sure you will recognise. They traded in this seaside town for 75 years, before closing in December 2008. Today it is Iceland. If…

Beckenham Woolworths – Store 401

190 – 192 High Street, Beckenham, Kent BR3 1EN Woolworths opened in Beckenham in 1930 on the High Street. It was a purpose-built store but not in the typical style of Woolworths. Possibly the style was to blend in with the neighbouring parade of shops. Source: Bromley Gloss Woolworths traded from here for 58 years….

Erith Woolworths – Store 397

44-48 Pier Road, Erith, Kent DA8 1TA Woolworths opened in Erith in 1930. It was on Pier Road, opening in an existing Victorian building. Source: Facebook Erith Woolworths is the setting for Elaine Everest’s series of books about “The Woolworths’ Girls” – they are worth a read as, although they are fictional, they really bring…

Faversham Woolworths – Store 393

10-11 Market Street, Faversham, Kent ME13 7ABA Woolworths opened in Faversham in 1930 on Market Street. In the 1950s, it had a major makeover and the whole frontage was updated with a more ‘modern’ look. The upper floor was added to make the former single-storey building more in keeping with the rest of Faversham. But…

Bexleyheath Woolworths – Store 390 / 1226

93 Broadway, Bexleyheath, Kent DA6 7JN Woolworths opened in Bexleyheath in 1930.  It was a purpose-built single storey store at 93 The Broadway. It was hit by an air raid in World War II. The building was saved by firefighters. Woolworths traded from this building for just over 50 years before changes came to Bexleyheath. Source: Kennett, D….

Dartford Woolworths – Store 341

47 – 49 High Street, Dartford, Kent DA1 1DP Woolworths opened in Dartford in 1928. Unfortunately I can’t find any photos, but it looks like there was a 1960s makeover. Paul Fletcher was the Assistant manager at 341 Dartford, and met his wife who worked there in 1980. Dot Daines Williams also worked there between…

Tonbridge Woolworths – Store 326

77 – 81 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent Woolworths opened in Tonbridge in 1928, taking over the premises of Parry & Ede confectioners. They demolished the old shop and put up a purpose-built Woolworths store. Source: Tonbridge Historical Society – Warner Collection image WA.036 The 1928 Tonbridge County School Magazine announced the arrival of Woolworths as…