Beauty and Beyond: Stafford Street, Eccleshall

Bethan Ward at No. 10 Stafford Street is Eccleshall’s go-to destination for beauty and undies. I drew this street not long before we moved to Scotland and I’m finally updating this archive three years later. It’s a timely post as I gather from their Facebook page that Bethan Ward is shortly relocating to Fletcher’s Garden Centre, Stone Road, Eccleshall. An end of an era and I wish them every success in their new home. I’m glad to have included them here. This also wraps up all my drawings of Eccleshall for the time being. You can see all the Eccleshall streets here on my website Drawing the Street.

I’ve been intrigued by the storey heights of these few buildings. The Bethan Ward building is quite a bit taller than its neighbour at No 8 but the building next along is even shorter!

Bowcock and Pursaill Solicitors are here at no 8 Stafford Street. They also appear on another of my drawings over in Leek which you can see here.

The Post Office below at No 4.

From this point onwards there have been more significant changes in the street frontage. Drawn below is what appears to be a closed newsagent, but this is now home to ‘Buttercups and Daisies with Love’.

I draw these buildings knowing that the buildings change hands with some regularity along with the window display and signage but often the upper floors stay constant. It’s always worth remembering to look up. On no 2, you can see the original details of the dog tooth detail at the eaves, the finely crafted joinery on the windows and the decorated lintols above. Looking up to the roof, the Staffordshire red brick chimney stacks remain along with the ‘fish scale’ pattern on the tiled roof.

These are all clues to the bigger picture of the history of the street and the local building style.

More changes have happened next door – ‘Cards and Gifts’ has gone and the building is now home to Ellison Edwards Wealth Management. Keith Hill too has gone and now it is home to Brookers key cutting, shoe repair and engraving.

Looking at google street maps three years later, this street has changed faster than I could have imagined!

Finally, we meet the point where Stafford Street turns the corner to the High Street, one of my earlier Eccleshall street drawings which you can see here. Reeds Rains estate agents has a prime location catching the interest of passers by with windows filled with Staffordshire’s finest properties on two streets! They know a good location alright!

Thanks for reading,

Ronnie