There is little to see here now, though until the nineteen eighties the main north-south road ran from Bridge Street via Cattle Market Street into White Horse Street through the heart of the printing works. Printing was the town’s major industry. Chadley Stewardson came to Fakenham in the early 19th century and started a printing business in Upper Market. After a time he bought the rented property and extended it over the passageway to the church. In recent times this formed part of the Aldiss shop in Upper Market and, as a stationer, traded as Stewardsons.
In May 1823 an advertisment in the Norfolk Chronicle read...
WANTED IMMEDIATELY AN APPRENTICE, in a pleasant and healthy town, to a GENERAL SHOPKEEPER, a Youth of respectable family, a Premium will be required. Further particulars by personal application (or by letter post-paid) to; Mr C. Stewardson, Printer and Druggist, Market Place, Fakenham.
Thomas John Miller started as an apprentice printer in Wells and soon moved to Fakenham where he set up as a printer and grocer in Lower Market and went on to run several businesses. His son, of the same name, started his own printing business in Wells at the age of 16 and, after a couple of years, moved back to Fakenham and took over the printing side of his father's business. He developed this and eventually bought a Wharfedale printing press, hence his works became known as the Wharfedale works. A boiler house with a huge chimney was added in 1892.
The business ran down after his death and was sold to Wyman, Son & Co. A large part of the works was destroyed by fire in 1914 and this led to modernisation. More staff were taken on and houses built for them. The company eventually had over a hundred houses in the town. The works (now demolished) was on both sides of the street and also in Oxborough Lane (now occupied by the Aldiss Superstore and Kinnerton's Chocolate Factory).
The Conservative Club, the Post Office and Telephone Exchange can be seen at the top of the road.
This picture was taken near Plaque 15 and Oxborough Lane is to the right behind the telegraph pole,
it leads to Aldiss, Kinnertons (both of which were part of the printing works) and the Quaker Burial
Ground.
The imposing Wharfedale Works’ office was demolished and, despite much public disquiet, is now a neglected area at the top of the street which the Town Council hopes to renovate.
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The Lancaster Press operated on part of the east side of the street until it moved to Holt Road. Wyman & Sons were taken over and became Cox & Wyman in 1959. It developed a reputation as the printer of high class "coffee table" books. Due to changing methods and cheaper foreign labour, the last printing firm, Fakenham Press, closed in 1982. The loss of jobs was a major blow to the town.
You should now walk along Oxborough Lane, the next plaque is on the gate of the Quaker Burial Ground on the right past Aldiss.