A 1932 newspaper article described the proposed building as providing Grantham with “the biggest improvement in business premises of recent times”. The Surrey History Centre (oddly) holds voluminous correspondence about the granting of the lease by the Buckminster Estate. They were wary of Burton using a subsidiary company, Montague Burton Shop Properties Limited, and Burton objected to having to pay an unusal £2,000 security deposit during construction.
Commenting on the planning application, architect Wilfrid Bond expressed “regret that they have not produced a design the Elevations of which are not more in harmony with the spirit of the older buildings in Grantham, a neglect which assist[s] in the destroying of the character of the town.”
The branch appears to have received a standard Burton midcentury shopfront modernisation, complete with the telltale pair of cylindrical columns at corner. A £127,000 grant in 2022 saw the shopfront restored as closely as possible to its original 1930s appearance.
| Year Laid | Laid By | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1933 | Arnold James Burton | Surviving |
| 1933 | Stanley Howard Burton | Surviving |
| Feature | Count | Installed | Removed | Status | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midcentury Columns | 2022 | Removed | Midcentury shopfront removed in 2022 and restored close to 1930s appearance |
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Additional Information
| FromYears based on documented evidence such as photographs or Google Streetview; actual dates may differ. | To | Details | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | 04/10/1932: Letter granting lease from Lord Dysart / Buckminster Estate | |||
| 2009 | 2018 | Addaction | ||
| 2021 | 2025 | Empty | ||
| 2022 | Shopfront restored to 1930s appearance | 21/9/2022 BBC News article | ||
| 2025 | David Grace estate agents |
| Date | Organisation | Reference | Details | Details | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | Surrey History Centre | K58/16/78 | Correspondence, plan, newscutting, etc. re 71 High Street, Montague Burton premises | Correspondence, plan, newscutting, etc. re 71 High Street, Montague Burton premises | ||
| 1936 | Surrey History Centre | K58/16/79 | Correspondence between Buckminster Estates and Montague Burton Ltd. | Correspondence between Buckminster Estates and Montague Burton Ltd. | ||
| 23/11/2015 | South Kesteven District Council | S15/3242 | Planning application for replacement of shopfront | Planning application for replacement of shopfront | Completed |