The History of the new Hailsham High Street Store

The location of our new Hailsham store is not only spectacular in size but also in history, with a listed building status.

There are three units that are owned by a local family - these consist of an Italian restaurant called Romeo and Juliet, us and Taylor Engley.

When the units were first acquired they were utilised as one large furniture and antique store called Kerridges. Trading for most of the twentieth century until 1961 and held a reputation for being one of the best in the South of England.

A Royal Visit

One of the most interesting fact relates to the iron ship, located on the oak beam above our new store which is still visible today - make sure you take a look when you visit! This ship was installed to commemorate the visit of a member of the royal family. Queen Mary (Mary of Teck - Queen Elizabeth’s grandmother) visited Kerridges in 1935, who purchased antiques from the store for Buckingham Palace.

When Kerridges shut it was split into three separate shops, which are now how they operate.

Restoring the building

It has been a great experience to restore the listed building to its former glory, especially for our CEO, Michael, who has a passion for history. Being able to breathe new life into a historical building is a wonderful achievement.

When we open on Monday 14 March, we’re delighted to be honouring the roots of Kerridges by launching our new Furniture Now! store from this very site.

We can’t wait to welcome local residents to the new store and help lots of happy families!