Burton's, 16–18 High Street, Abergavenny is a shop constructed for the Burton's tailoring company in 1937. The design, by Burton's in-house architect, Nathaniel Martin, is Art Deco in style. The building is listed Grade II* for its "exceptional interest and rarity as a well preserved Burton's store which retains almost all of its 1930s external detailing."

History and architecture

The Burton clothing company was founded by

Montague Burton Sir Montague Maurice Burton (15 August 1885 – 21 September 1952) was the founder of Burton Menswear, one of Britain's largest chains of clothes shops. Early life Born Meshe David Osinsky and a Lithuanian Jew in Kurkliai, Kaunas provinc ...

in 1903. Originally named the Cross-Tailoring Company, the business grew to become the world's largest tailoring company by Burton's death in 1952. During rapid expansion in the 1920s and 1930s, fuelled in part by contracts to supply uniforms to the British Army throughout World War I, Burton established a distinctive architectural template for his stores nationwide. Using an in-house architectural team, led firstly by Harry Wilson and then by Nathaniel Martin, the stores were constructed in an Art Deco style, "the uncompromising

moderne Moderne may refer to: * Moderne architecture, styles of architecture popular from 1925–1940s * PWA Moderne, an architectural style in the U.S., 1933–1944 * Streamline Moderne Streamline Moderne is an international style of Art Deco archit ...

of the Burton house style (being) used in every store in the land." The building on High Street, Abergavenny is of two storeys with wide glass elevations to both the Market Street and High Street frontages. The building materials include

Portland stone Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries are cut in beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building sto ...

, polished black marble, brass and glass. A foundation stone records; "This stone laid by Raymond Montague Burton 1937". The store has an exterior that is almost unchanged since its construction in 1937 and, as such, it represents a rare survival of a commercial style that was once common through the United Kingdom. The building has a Grade II* listing in acknowledgement of this rarity. Its

Cadw (, a Welsh verbal noun meaning "keeping/preserving") is the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and part of the Tourism and Culture group. works to protect the historic buildings and structures, the landscapes and heritage s ...

listing describes it as "a classic Burton store with all the characteristic design features which used to be displayed in every British town and have now gone almost completely".

Burton Burton, Burtons, or Burton's may refer to: Companies * Burton (retailer), a clothing retailer ** Burton's, Abergavenny, a shop built for the company in 1937 **The Montague Burton Building, Dublin a shop built for the company between 1929 and ...

closed the store in the early 21st century. In 2018, redevelopment work on the building was halted by

Monmouthshire County Council Monmouthshire County Council (or simply Monmouthshire Council) ( cy, Cyngor Sir Fynwy) is the governing body for the Monmouthshire principal area – one of the unitary authorities of Wales. The current unitary authority was created in 1996 an ...

over concerns that historic architectural features were being damaged. In 2019, the retailer

Mountain Warehouse Mountain Warehouse is a British outdoor retailer selling equipment for hiking, camping, skiing, cycling, running and fitness. Founded in 1997 by Mark Neale; Mountain Warehouse has grown from a single outlet store to over 330 stores in the UK, ...

took a ten-year lease on the site.

References

{{Reflist, 30em Grade II* listed buildings in Monmouthshire Retail buildings in Wales Commercial buildings completed in 1937 Art Deco architecture in Wales