700 years of local history

A small group of us were treated to a tour of this wonderful building which is well known in East Grinstead High Street as Broadleys, Gentlemen's Outfitters. Olwen Broadley showed us round and pointed out the various original beams, which having been Dendro-dated, were felled in 1351, with the frame being constructed off site and the actual building completed by 1355.

In 1556, the cellars were used as a temporary prison for the last three protestant martyrs to be burned at the stake. Anne Tree, Thomas Dunngate and John Foreman were burned as heretics outside on the High Street on 18th July because they refused to renounce their Protestant Faith.

The attic was equally fascinating where we could see that straw had been used as a medieval building material, this being the upmarket form of wattle and daub.

In 1896 it became Broadleys and is now in its 4th generation. This is no mean achievement and when larger chains have come and gone this lovely independent store continues. Long may it do so!