Nostimo’s corner

1 & 3, Market Square (Nostimo’s)

The corner end of what is now Nostimo’s Delicatessen was, from 1750, the site of the Bell Inn, originally a timber framed building but later converted into a brick building.  There was brief interlude in the 1880’s when it served as the offices of Stanley Smith & Co, auctioneers and public house brokers.  Confusingly, in the various 19^th century Directories, the street address is generally Bridge Street, rather than Market Square, until 1886, but presumably it was always the same corner site.

Stanley W Smith, Auctioneers, Market Square, about 1881, before alterations

The later photograph below shows the site after reverting to the Bell Inn, with a modified front.  It is not clear when the distinctive rounded corner and the balustrades above the window line were introduced.  It finally closed as an Inn in 1906.

The Bell Inn, after alterations in the 1880’s

The building then was bought by Eric E Smith and converted into a barber’s shop.  Smith would go on to open the Phoenix and Regent cinemas on South Street, Bishops Stortford.  It eventually became a branch of the National Provincial Bank, with a further altered ground floor frontage and what appears to be a separate “shop” under the 3^rd window.

The National Provincial Bank, before re-development in the 1930’s

The adjacent site, no 3, was a separate shop, for many years around the late 1800’s, occupied by W M King, and then F. R. Marshall, as a tobacconist and newsagent.

Post card from about 1900, showing the Bell Inn and Marshall

In the 1930’s, the adjacent sites were re-developed to provide an enlarged premises for the bank.  Interestingly, this retained the four windows of the original two buildings.  Look inside today and the high ceiling speaks of its former role as the banking hall.  The Bank remained here until closure, following the merger of Westminster Bank and National Provincial Bank in 1970, to form the National Westminster (now NatWest) Bank.  The former already had premises on North Street and this became the site of the merged bank.