The Post Office in Park Road 1960 [Z53/112/9]

The Post Office and Watson's Stores, as it then was, was listed by the former Department of Environment in June 1974 as Grade II, of special interest. The Department dated the building to the 18th century and, like many of the older buildings in the area, it is constructed of coursed limestone rubble, though with a modern pebbledash rendering. The property has two storeys under a modern concrete tile roof. It was listed "for group value".

The Rating and Valuation Act 1925 specified that every building and piece of land in the country was to be assessed to determine its rateable value. Stevington was assessed in 1926 and the valuer visiting the property on the corner of Park Road and Silver Street [DV1/C120/43] noted that it was a shop, owned and occupied by George Field (who also wned Stevington Windmill) and stood in just under a quarter of an acre. Field had bought the place "some years ago".

The property comprised a living room, kitchen and scullery along with a shop measuring 23 feet 6 inches by 14 feet and a store room "up 4 steps" downstairs with four bedrooms above, "1 being used for lumber". A "good" washhouse with a loft over it stood outside along with a long range which was "not much good" comprising two stores, a cart shed, and two stables leading from the yard Of the store room the valuer commented: "Only dry place he has".

The valuer commented: "House damp. North front quite nice". Of trade he noted: At crossroads. [He] says very poor Trade. Lost money last year. Only shop in Village". Directories reveal that the property did not become a Post Office until after 1940 as at that date the office was still at 3 Church Road. Directories also reveal that Frank Watson had taken the shop over by 1940. George Field is first named as shopkeeper in a directory 1898 of and last named in 1936.

The shop closed in the last years of the 20th century as a result of numerous break-ins. The post office continued until it was closed a short time before the time of writing [2009].