30 St John Street

▪ Grade II listed timber framed building

▪ Continuation of 26-28 St John St

▪ Likely late 15th century but listing suggests 17th century

▪ Façade retains fake timbering

▪ From 1821-65 was a hairdresser’s

▪ Then a boot and shoemaker’s for about 70 years

▪ Became a hairdresser/barber again in 2019

Number 30 is on the south side of the street opposite to Millennium Square.

The Building

It is a timber framed house of two storeys with plain eaves and machined tiles. The first-floor is jettied (overhanging the ground floor) and has an 18th century 6x6 sash window. It is rendered with fake timbering (late 19^th / early 20^th century) the pattern of which was also seen on historic photographs of the Gingerbread Shop. The ground floor shop front is 19th century and has pilasters.

The History of its Occupation and Use

In Land Tax records, Nos. 26-28 and 30 it seems were grouped together and they may have constituted a single property for occupation and use perhaps up until c1830.

The 1841 census appears to place William Wilson, who was hairdresser, at No. 30. He may have purchased the property from Samuel Bartholemew who was also a hairdresserin 1831 (see advertisement below left). William Wilson would remain there until 1865 when the property was put up for sale (see advertisement below right).

It was reported in 1866, that William Wilson had died at the age of 73 on the “Plains of Utah” having emigrated to America with his family in 1865 immediately after the sale of the house. They were on their way to Salt Lake City.  

The property was on the market again two years later along with 26-28 St John St when the occupant was John Gregory, boot and shoe maker (see building biography for Nos. 26-28).

The Gregorys ran their boot and shoe making business there for about 70 years. After John passed away in 1912, his daughter Elizabeth continued the business. Their shop is last listed in the 1936 commercial directory and Elizabeth passed away in 1938. Afterwards it appears that the H. T. Spencer’s Gingerbread Shop at No.26-28 expanded to include No. 30. In the 1950s, the address of the GingerbreadShop is given as 26-30 St John St.

It is not clear when 30 St John St became a separate business premises again and very little information about the occupation of the premises has come to light 1960s-2008. In 1987, La Cave wine shop was opened and from 1989-91 Natural Choice expanded their shop from Nos. 32 to include No. 30 before moving to No. 24. For just 3 months in 1994, the premises were occupied by Heroes Menswear.

The earliest Google Street View in 2009 shows 30 St John St occupied by The Cob Stop (see below) who were there until 2016. Janet Rodney’s clothes alteration business was there 2017-18 and since 2019 it has been the Turkish Barber’s.