Arthur Beale is a yacht-chandler that stocks a wide variety of nautical equipment and accessories. The business started as the rope-maker John Buckingham by the nearby Fleet river in the 16th century and was based in premises in

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mus ...

until 2021. In the 19th century, they became known as the exclusive suppliers of climbing rope to the Alpine Club. They still make and stock a large variety of ropes and lines and so also supply theatrical rigging and ornamental ropes for decoration and crowd control. In 2021, following the COVID-19 pandemic, they announced that they would be moving the business online but with plans for a new retail location or format such as a Christmas pop-up shop.

History

The business started as rope-maker, John Buckingham, on the Fleet river at the start of the 16th century. In the early 19th century, they had premises at number 6 in the Middle Row of St Giles—an impressive terrace in the middle of Broad Street—but had to move when this was demolished in 1843. They then operated from premises on Shaftesbury Avenue when John Buckingham and then the new proprietor, Arthur Beale, were exclusive suppliers of climbing rope to early members of the Alpine Club. This was made to the club's specification so that it was both light and strong, being made from three strands of manila hemp, treated to be rot proof and marked with a red thread of worsted yarn. This rope was used for British expeditions to Mount Everest and Antarctica. It also supplied ice axes to polar explorer, Ernest Shackleton; the flagpole for

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

and rigging for escapologists and the

window display A display window, also a shop window ( British English) or store window (American English), is a window in a shop displaying items for sale or otherwise designed to attract customers to the store. Usually, the term refers to larger windows in th ...

s of Selfridges department store. The business now trades mainly as a yacht chandler, stocking and supplying nautical equipment such as a monkey's fist – a weighted ball of rope used for line-throwing. To support the retailing, they have a workshop downstairs, where they produce special orders for ropes and rigging. This business was declining but, in 2014, veteran sailor and theatrical chandler, Alasdair Flint, took over with business partner Gerry Jeatt with plans to revive it. The range of products was broadened to include nautical clothing, books and novelties such as

ship's biscuits Hardtack (or hard tack) is a simple type of dense biscuit or cracker made from flour, water, and sometimes salt. Hardtack is inexpensive and long-lasting. It is used for sustenance in the absence of perishable foods, commonly during long sea vo ...

. Other new activities included courses and presentations, stands at boat shows and improved windows displays. The COVID-19 pandemic depressed retail activity in central London and the business could not then sustain the rental cost of the shop in Shaftesbury Avenue. A new management team of Hugh Taylor and James Keef plan to move the business online from a warehouse base in

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...

. This would then be supported by more limited retailing in London such as a pop-up shop at Christmas time. In July 2021, a retail store opened in Portsmouth which offers
Click and Collect at Sea
service.

Reviews

Eugenia Bell, writing in ''The Traditional Shops and Restaurants of London'', praised the establishment: In 1999, ''

Time Out Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to: Time * Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team * Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken * Timeout (computing), an enginee ...

'' likewise commented on their incongruity but praised the range of nautical equipment:

References

External links

Arthur Beale
– official website
Master Mechanics of the Wind
– an interview with Bill Keitel {{coord, 51, 30, 55, N, 0, 7, 35.8, W, type:landmark_region:GB-WSM, display=title Climbing and mountaineering equipment companies Ropes Sailing Shops in London