The story of Earsham Street in Bungay and St Mary's Street

One is a thriving road filled with bustling independent stores and cafes, the other more down-at-heel, with more than half a dozen boarded-up shops.

The remarkable contrast between Earsham Street and St Mary's Street, which both meet by the Butter Cross in the middle of Bungay, is the focus of much discussion in the town, with fierce debate about what can be done to 'level up' the southern side of the centre.

Both are attractive streets with similar parking and buildings.

But Earsham Street, which features cafes, a deli, fishmongers and greengrocers has been named among the best places for independent businesses by the Telegraph newspaper.

The old White Swan Pub and the old Martins newsagents boarded up on St Mary's Street (Image: Bruno Brown) Four Season's Home and Garden Shop recently closed in St Mary's Street (Image: Bruno Brown)

By contrast, St Mary's Street has a number of charity shops and chain outlets as well as a high turnover of stores, with many currently boarded up.

'THE TOWN IS SPLIT'

Locals say the street has less of the vibrancy found just up the road on Earsham Street, which they say enjoys a greater sense of identity and community, meaning people come from miles to browse its shops.

Among them is Richard Seel, a retired BBC producer.

Richard Seel outside of the Little Green Wholefood Store on Earsham Street (Image: Bruno Brown)

"We drive to Bungay from Chedgrave to do our shopping here on Earsham Street and we think it is just marvellous and truly unique," he said.

"The shopkeepers are superbly friendly. We see familiar faces and it is just so lovely.

"What is so special is that there are the fishmongers, the greengrocer and the whole food shop, the deli and the butchers all literally in the same section of the road."

But while St Mary's Street once had a similarly mixed offering and loyal clientele, it has suffered because of the shop closures, which have then made it harder for neighbouring stores.

It caters for a different shopper to Earsham Street, where products tend to be pricier, but retailers are still keen to close the gap between the two areas.

Cliff Harris, owner of Earsham Street Fishmongers (Image: Bruno Brown)

Cliff Harris, owner of Earsham Street Fish Company said: “Unfortunately I think the reality is that the town is split."

He feared the situation might be exacerbated by the closure this month of Wightmans after 164 years.

The home furniture retail store was located near where the two streets meet and Mr Harris said it was vital for both of them.

"There is great concern about what happens, as that shop brought people to the town and St Mary's Street, he added.

"I hope the new empty old building can be replaced and Earsham Street and St Mary's can join together somehow."
 

NATURAL ADVANTAGES
Earsham Street has some natural advantages not shared by its southern counterpart.
 

Andrew Leggett-Bond pictured inside The Chocolate Box (Image: Bruno Brown)

Andrew Leggett-Bond, who runs The Chocolate Box - now the town's oldest store - on St Mary's Street, said: "Geographically, Earsham Street is in a good position for street markets as they can close that street quite easily whereas this one is important for bus routes and cannot be closed."

READ MORE: Interiors @ NO11 in Bungay - Earsham Street business blooms

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READ MORE: Bungay business Wightmans to close its doors after 164 years

But he thought the gap between the two could still be bridged, if some of the boarded-up shops and closed-down pubs could be repurposed.

"Earsham Street shoppers go there because they tend to have the extra few pounds to pay for the nicer things, and the shops there are very nice," he said.

"So I think Earsham Street benefits from having a strong clientele who travel from afar to go there for the collection of shops on offer, while this side of Bungay doesn't have that.

"It would be nice if we knew what was happening with the old Kings Head, the White Swan, and lots of other empty businesses which means we all suffer over this side of town."

SHARED CONFIDENCE

Other traders on both streets had similar hopes.

Nicola Milne-Malone pictured outside of her shop on Earsham Street (Image: Bruno Brown)

Nicola Milne-Malone, owner of Giddens & Thompson Greengrocer on Earsham Street, said: "Earsham Street is incredibly well supported by locals and people who travel from far and wide.

"I hope soon one day the two streets will align into a blossoming place.

"Our street is a little like stepping back into time and the customers love that, with the deli, the fishmongers, butchers... and we are lucky to have everyone here thriving."

Michelle Steele opened the Earsham Street Deli in 2007 (Image: Bruno Brown)

Michelle Steele, the owner of Earsham Street Delicatessen, also hoped the street's success could spread.

"The high street is not dead, but it has gone back to being an old-fashioned high street. Bespoke and unique," she said.

"Retail is hard but you have to offer an experience and we put a great emphasis on this.

"Good things attract good things and I think this has helped Earsham Street.

"When we arrived in 2007 it was just the Little Green shop, and now we have so many good independent businesses here and I think that explains the success here."

SIGNS OF ST MARY'S RECOVERY

There are encouraging signs for St Mary's Street, with two antiques shops set to open there within the next few weeks.

They will join the recently opened Knife Fork Spoon shop and The Burrow, which opened within the last few months.
Nicolas Usherwood pictured in front of the old Post Office on Earsham Street (Image: Bruno Brown)

Nicolas Usherwood, curator of the Bungay Fisher Theatre, said: "St Mary’s Street has been struggling for years and undoubtedly had fallen into the shadow of Earsham Street's success over the last decade or so.

"But I get the feeling St Mary’s Street could be improving with lots of lovely antique shops popping up.

"And I think there is a slow shift in the age group in the town with less crumply old people like me bumbling about."

Bob Ringwood will be opening a shop in this shop on St Mary's Street this summer (Image: Bruno Brown)