Earliest records show that Welford House in Bakewell was home to a shoe shop at the time of Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee in 1897. That's 125 years of supplying the people of Bakewell with quality footwear products! We’re led to believe that the building had originally been built as bank, to support local farmers and landowners.
During the 1960s the shop was run by Charles Mills, following many years in his family. Trading was very different to today, with two shops selling everything from Children’s ballet shoes to apres Ski boots! In 1971 the Mills retired and the the shop was taken over by Cliff Dobinson, who continued to sell footwear.
Similar to our shop in Belper, it was later owned by David Scott & Clarks shoes. It became part of the Wards family of shops in 1988 when Jane & Steven Ward took over. At the time they also had a shop in Matlock so it fitted well with their move further in to Derbyshire.
Over the years Bakewell has become a real tourist hotspot. Each year visitors come from all over the world to sample the famous Bakewell Puddings and enjoy the many cafes and independent shops, not to mention the beautiful Peak District and stunning Chatsworth House which sit on our doorstep. In turn, our choice of brands has evolved from selling primarily Clarks, to offering a much wider selection of specialist footwear brands from Europe, and wider afield. We’re really proud when visiting customers tell us “we need a shoe shop like this where we live!”
In 2016-17 Welford House was redeveloped and subsequently in 2018, the shop underwent a significant renovation project. We were delighted to uncover and incorporate many of the original features of the historical building, creating a unique independent environment. We hope customers will enjoy spending time in our store and browsing our wide collection of footwear & accessories. The store is run by Jane & her team who have so much experience with different footwear brands. They’re on hand to offer advice about the fit and comfort of our shoes, what to wear them with and the latest trends. Our regular customers will know that Jane has been running the store for a long time, she has sworn us to secrecy about this! Let’s just say, we’re confident there aren’t many others in the shoe trade, with quite as many years of experience. Bakewell is a wonderful place to visit and our team look forward to welcoming you into our store one day soon!
During the 1960s the shop was run by Charles Mills, following many years in his family. Trading was very different to today, with two shops selling everything from Children’s ballet shoes to apres Ski boots! In 1971 the Mills retired and the the shop was taken over by Cliff Dobinson, who continued to sell footwear.
Similar to our shop in Belper, it was later owned by David Scott & Clarks shoes. It became part of the Wards family of shops in 1988 when Jane & Steven Ward took over. At the time they also had a shop in Matlock so it fitted well with their move further in to Derbyshire.
Over the years Bakewell has become a real tourist hotspot. Each year visitors come from all over the world to sample the famous Bakewell Puddings and enjoy the many cafes and independent shops, not to mention the beautiful Peak District and stunning Chatsworth House which sit on our doorstep. In turn, our choice of brands has evolved from selling primarily Clarks, to offering a much wider selection of specialist footwear brands from Europe, and wider afield. We’re really proud when visiting customers tell us “we need a shoe shop like this where we live!”
In 2016-17 Welford House was redeveloped and subsequently in 2018, the shop underwent a significant renovation project. We were delighted to uncover and incorporate many of the original features of the historical building, creating a unique independent environment. We hope customers will enjoy spending time in our store and browsing our wide collection of footwear & accessories. The store is run by Jane & her team who have so much experience with different footwear brands. They’re on hand to offer advice about the fit and comfort of our shoes, what to wear them with and the latest trends. Our regular customers will know that Jane has been running the store for a long time, she has sworn us to secrecy about this! Let’s just say, we’re confident there aren’t many others in the shoe trade, with quite as many years of experience. Bakewell is a wonderful place to visit and our team look forward to welcoming you into our store one day soon!