Historic jewellery shop to quit premises

A HISTORIC Ipswich jewellery shop could quit its historic Tavern Street premises and relocate elsewhere in the town.

Bolton-based company Preston & Duckworth, which now owns the former Croydon's building, is investigating alternative sites in the town after receiving "enormous" estimates for the internal refurbishment of the timber framed building.

Company chairman Neil Duckworth said that he did not anticipate any difficulty in finding a new shop suitable for the business elsewhere within the town centre.

However, he said the outcome would depend on whether a new tenant, willing to take on the refurbishment project, could be found for the current building on which the company holds a long lease.

"Nothing is definite at this stage," said Mr Duckworth. "We are just investigating the possibilities because of the cost of the work involved.

"It is quite an old building, with a lot that needs doing, and we are a small county jewellers not a national multiple."

Although Mr Duckworth stressed that there was no question of the Ipswich business closing entirely, and that any new store would be within the town centre, a move away from the existing site would sever the final link with the Croydons era.

The business was founded in 1865 and traded successfully fore more than a century until 1994 when, together with its sister branch in Bury St Edmunds, it was rescued by Prestons from receivership.

Both Suffolk stores continued to trade under the Croydons name, with the Bury shop taking on the new Preston & Duckworth identity in July last year and the Ipswich site following suit in September.

Besides the two Suffolk branches and its Bolton headquarters, Preston & Duckworth – which itself has roots stretching back more than a century – also has shops in Guildford, Windsor and York.