By Jill Trumble, Stockport Heritage Trust

The land on which the Three Shires was built in Great Underbank was granted to Robert de Legh of Adlington in 1438/39. The building is timber framed with two storeys and two gabled bays with the upper floor and gables being jettied. 

Inside, only a few original door lintels and original roof beams remain. A garden to the rear led down to the river and the occupants of the house had the right of turbary.

It was the Leghs' townhouse during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and can be seen on the Adlington Survey map of 1577.

However, early deeds of 1657, by which time it was owned by a William Dickenson, do not give a precise indication of its age. Edward Norris purchased this 'messuage, burgage and tenement' in 1705 and it was in his family's possession until the 1740s.

In 1723, during their tenure, houses were built on the land and garden that extended to the west side. Later that century it became the residence of a branch of the Tatton family.

When one part of the premises was converted to a shop in 1824, a portion of the ancient wall was removed.

The upper floor projects beyond the floor below (Image - Stockport Heritage Trust)

Dr. John Medd, a surgeon and man-midwife, was in residence in 1841. He was one of the surgeons who were called upon to try to identify the severely burnt bodies of some of the 20 people who were killed in the boiler explosion at Henry Marsland's Park Mills in 1851. 

He was also engaged in treating the injured after the stampede down Mealhouse Brow in 1860. He died in 1862 and is buried beneath the coffin-shaped tomb in St. Mary's churchyard in the market place.

Attorney William Smith bought the property in 1870 and solicitor's offices continued to use rooms in the building for many years.

Sisters, Mary and Emma Evans who were confectioners, occupied the shop premises for many years. They employed two apprentices, Joseph Fowden and Elizabeth Price who, by 1871 had completed their apprenticeships, married and taken over the business. Joseph soon applied for a wine licence, making the shop the only one in the town to have one. 

The Fowdens baked their own bread on the premises and always had a kettle boiling over an open fire so that tea could quickly be prepared. Joseph died in 1929 and Elizabeth, three years later.

The Three Shires has been a mainstay of Stockport's built landscape for more than half a millenium (Image - Stockport Heritage Trust)

Their son, John, and four unmarried daughters continued with the business and lived on the premises until John's retirement in 1946. Later Elsie Fowden recalled that she had enjoyed working at the Three Shires because 'everything went at a slower pace and everyone knew everyone else'.

After John's retirement, Robinson's, the caterers, took over the shop and that is when it became known as the Three Shires. Robinson's already owned restaurants with similar names in Derbyshire and Lancashire and so they named their newly-acquired Cheshire restaurant as the Three Shires in Stockport.

A papier-mâché elephant had pride of place in the shop from the earliest days and remained there for decades until it was stolen in 1962. Some children found it in pieces at the side of a road where it had been thrown from a car. It was repaired and repainted and returned to the premises.

Birkett and Bostock, the bakers, owned the building from 1887 to 1922 during which time they made some alterations. In 1889 it was extended to the rear and to the left hand side and the original sloping roof was removed. The following year, the casement windows shown in this image, were replaced by sash windows.

In 1961 the building was extended further to the rear to accommodate a larger dining area but much of this succumbed to the construction of the precinct which officially opened in 1970. The Three shires closed in 1980 and the exterior was renovated after a fire in 1983. It later became home to wine bars and restaurants and has recently re-opened after a short closure.

~

Those interested in learning more about Stockport's heritage can visit the heritage centre Tuesday 11am – 2pm and Saturday 10.30 – 2pm. The centre is situated inside St. Mary's Parish Church, Market Place, on the left hand side past the cafe. 

The heritage trust also opens the former courthouse and dungeon to the public on the second Saturday of every month, from 10.30am until 3.30pm, or when the last visitor leaves.

The trust's website can be found HERE

~

Free from clickbait, pop-up ads and unwanted surveys, Stockport Nub News is a quality online newspaper for our town.

To get our top stories in your inbox each week, subscribe to our free weekly newsletter HERE.

Please consider following Stockport Nub News on Facebook or Twitter