The Old Post Office

2 Fore Street

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Originally there was an elegant private town residence built around 1805 on this site. It then became the business premises of Toms the printers.

In the 1860s it became the Post Office. For a time Mitchell and Toms, the local brewers, occupied the left hand side of the building, before moving to the next premises on Fore Street in 1902. Up until 1905 the second floor was the postmaster’s living quarters.

Telephones arrived in 1908 and were housed on the 2nd floor alongside the telegram office. The Post Office remained on the site for more than 100 years before moving further down Fore Street in the 1960s.

In September 1972 the building was partly demolished without permission and although Somerset County Council wanted to retain the old building, for safety reasons the site had to be cleared and redeveloped and was occupied by Bakers Dozen, followed by St. Margarets Hospice charity shop and now Ferne Animal Sanctuary. Alongside Bakers Dozen in Unit 2, 4 Fore Street was Alliance & Leicester followed by William Hill, the betting shop.