Nestled along the tidal edge of Leigh Creek, the cockle sheds of Old Leigh have long stood as weathered sentinels of a once-thriving fishing community. Among them, No. 1 Cockle Shed holds a particularly rich history, one that traces not only the evolution of the local shellfish trade but also the enduring legacy of the Harvey family, who worked these shores for generations.
During the summer of 2021, Gorgon Stone Conservation was employed to perform what they thought to be a simple paint stripping job on a Georgian building in the centre of the town, only to discover three different layers of old signage underneath. The company carefully removed the paint to reveal a wonderful glimpse at some of the former lives of this unusual curved property, situated at 1 Market Place (formally 25 Bath Street) in Frome, Somerset. I was intrigued to know what I could find out about the businesses on the old signage, uncovering over 200 years of history, stretching all the way along from 24 Bath Street to 1-3 Market Place.