Historic Newells treasures to be displayed and sold for charity in Presteigne

A much-loved piece of Presteigne’s history is returning to the town next week - but for one day only.

The famous Newells ironmongers, a local institution for more than two centuries, will be making a one-day comeback at Courtyard Antiques on Saturday, November 16.

Newells was founded in 1770 and became an iconic family-run business on Broad Street, Presteigne. The store was renowned for its vast array of items on sale. It closed its doors in 1974, leaving a nostalgic gap in the local community.

The story of Newells’ final days is one of its stock being bought in its entirety by Roger Warner, a well-known antique dealer from Burford. 

Mr. Warner, who had previously appeared on BBC’s Going for a Song, purchased the remaining stock, much of it sight unseen. His collection included everything from forgotten glass oil lamps to humble everyday objects, all of which held stories of a bygone era.

At the time BBC Bristol made a half hour documentary about the purchase of so many workaday objects. 

Asa dealer Warner had influenced designers such as Sibyl Fairfax and John Fowler and although over the years many extraordinary pieces passed through his shop, he also had a keen appreciation of the humbler objects.

He understood how things like a small wooden nutmeg grater could easily be overlooked and thrown away but was every bit important as a grand piece of furniture as a glimpse into a passing way of life.

Now, nearly 50 years after the store closed, a chance conversation has led to the rediscovery of some of Newells’ original stock.

Jo Roberts, a dealer featured on BBC One’s The Bidding Room, and her colleague, Natasha, Kennerley, a Cotswold-based antique dealer, were invited by Jules Brisbane to take up residence at Courtyard Antiques.

“The Room at the Back” is based in the shop. The new venture is named on the premise that all antique dealers long to know “what’s in the back room.”

A casual conversation between Mr Warner’s daughter, Sue Ashton, and Natasha then revealed the Presteigne connection.

“At that point, I’d never heard of Newells,” said Natasha.

“But Sue explained, saying she had a box of things from Newells that had been sitting unopened in her father’s study for years.

“She said she’d like to give it to Jo Roberts and me to have in The Room at the Back.”

Jo added: “We opened this box of delights in Courtyard Antiques, just around the corner from Newells. I particularly loved a paper package, tightly wrapped with string, which hadn’t been opened for decades, containing dozens of tiny buttons.

“It’s a box of what some might consider inconsequential items, but they’re integral to our lives, and sometimes it’s the everyday objects that bring us closer to the past.”

To see the objects from Newells, visit Courtyard Antiques (LD8 2BE) on Saturday, November 16, open from 10am to 4pm. 

Interested buyers will be invited to offer generously on any items from the box they wish to buy, and all proceeds, plus any unsold items, will be donated to The Judge’s Lodging Trust.

Hurry for the last chance to buy from Newells of Presteigne