Iconic Morpeth shop celebrates 180th anniversary with stunning photos from back in time

The iconic shop is marking the occasion with a special display celebrating its history and the town it has called home for the best part of two centuries.

Dating back to 1846, Rutherfords’ look and offerings has changed somewhat over the years, but it has always stood on Bridge Street, right in the heart of Morpeth town centre.

Beginning life as a drapery shop used by farmers, over the decades it extended from one building at 10 Bridge Street, across to 10-16 Bridge Street and even had a secondary shop open along the road at 36 Bridge Street.

Having been passed down through five generations of Rutherford family members, the shop was sold to Chris Mitchell in 2019 and remains an important part of Morpeth’s identity.

“It's always been an important anchor store on the high street,” Mitchell said. “It's pretty much central to Bridge Street.

“And I suppose it gives people a reason to come into town. We partner a lot with the arcade and other stakeholders in the town, so we bounce off one another.”

The rise of online shopping, customer habits changing and the decline of high streets up and down the country, Rutherfords is a unique shopping experience and one that, despite surviving two world wars and a number of recessions and tough financial times, has also recently had to overcome possibly its biggest challenge in its 180 years of business.

“The pandemic was probably the worst crisis it's ever faced,” Mitchell added.

“If we can survive that, there's not much we can't survive. We're constantly evolving and shopping habits have changed.

“Expectations from customers have changed and pressure from the government and stuff like that.

“The shop isn't the same as it was 10 years ago, 50 years ago, 100 years ago. It's a constant evolution.”

With 180 years of history behind it, Rutherfords is looking boldly into the future, whilst also celebrating the people and stories that have brought them to this point.

If you pop down to 10-16 Bridge Street right now, you will see a number of photographs celebrating not just the shop’s history, but also the town of Morpeth.

From days of a cattle market right in the middle of the town, to fashion shows that proved a big hit with local residents, right through to the modern day and the huge role that Rutherfords still plays in how the town is shaped.

Despite modern shopping trends and the cost-of-living crisis threatening the existence of shops like Rutherfords and changing how our high streets look, this can be a store that bucks the trend and can withstand the pressures of modern life, just like it has withstood the test of time for almost two centuries.

On his final message for everyone who has played a role in Rutherfords’ history, present and future, Mitchell added: “Thank you to all the generations who have supported us and continue to support us.

“There's so many customers who walk through the door and they've got memories of coming in with parents, grandparents and buying certain items.”