Rushden Research Group: Development

Development - 1992/3

In 1956 the Co-op bought the old Succoth Church and added to their High Street store in 1969. They refurbished the High Street shops and had a new style signage.

The drapery store in the 1970s, with the latest logo on a plain board. The shop window (left) was the wool department.


George Street corner Bishop's 1977	After Bishop's as the Co-op - Budgen's came in 1991

Evening Telegraph, 11th January 1989

Changes in store
A PART of Rushden's street scene which has stood since the turn of the century could be swept away by next year if plans for a new £3 million Co-op store go ahead.

The main block of the High Street store was built around 1902 with the electrical and homeware departments following in the 1960s.
Now owners the South Midlands Co-op want to demolish the whole block and replace it with a 15,000 square foot department store, as revealed exclusively in the East Northants ET on Friday.
If planning permission is granted, building work could start within a couple of months.

These shops were demolished and two new shops built.

In 1992 the central High Street area was undergoing changes. The Co-op redeveloped their shops. They had bought the Budgen's store, and this became the Home and Fashion department; the Co-op Bank was moved there too, as the offices, which also housed the bank, had been cleared. Now the shops were to be demolished and completely rebuilt.

In Rectory Road a new Job Centre was built, and car parking was between this and the new store. The old Seddons & Arlidge factory and the shops infront of it were demolished and two shops rebuilt on the site.

June 1992 - Courtesy of Roy Thomas

Lion Terrace in High Street survived	Rectory Road view of the site

Almost finished by December 1992 ........

December 1992 - Courtesy of Roy Thomas

In May 1994 it was announced that as a result of the recession one of Rushden’s largest shops, the Co‑op Home and Fashion Store, would close in July. A new shop originally planned as a department store for the Co-op a few yards away in the High Street had stood empty for over a year.

Eventually this became a 'BeeWise' store. When they moved out, QS took it for a time, then 'Store 21' took over the building.

In 2019 Specsavers took over half the space, then c2021 Iceland moved into the rest.

Developments - mainpage