Pembrokeshire County Council is helping a Narberth business restore its historic building name.
The Uniqueworks Handmade Furniture company took over a shop at 62a James Street in June.
The bespoke furniture-making company asked the Council’s street name department if it could reintroduce the Grade II listed-building’s historic name London House as its new shop address.
June Shobbrook, the Council’s Street Naming and Numbering Officer, got on the case and is now in the process of registering the new (and old) house name with the Royal Mail, Ordnance Survey and other relevant parties.
“We are so pleased that the building’s original name is being reinstated and that its little bit of history can live on,” said Stephanie Smith, who along with Jake Humphries is a director of the company.
“We don’t know a great deal about the building’s past but it has a lovely etched Victorian or Edwardian window on it which shows that it once used to be a drapers called C G Thompson and that the building was called London House.
“It made us curious to know more and although we don’t know why it was called London House in the first place we were keen to restore it.
“We are very grateful to June for her help and for enabling us to be part of the continuing heritage of the building.”
June, whose job includes the whole gamut of address issues including house numbering on new sites and street names for new developments, said she had been happy to help.
“Although we don’t know why building was once called London House, this was one of my more straightforward requests,” she said.
“Some naming and renumbering requests can get quite contentious and I can also get some very strange requests.
“The golden rule is to always avoid a duplication of addresses, which makes life difficult for everyone.”
As well as liaising with the Royal Mail and Ordnance Survey, June also contacts the major utility companies, emergency services and Land Registry – as well as other Pembrokeshire County Council departments- about any changes.
Caption
Pictured outside London House in Narberth are Stephanie Smith and Cllr Rob Lewi
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