Inside time-capsule Victorian pharmacy untouched for almost 80 years
Pictures from a rare opportunity to look inside the chemist shop that lay untouched for almost 80 years before being discovered, bought and moved to Flambards
It’s the smell that hits you first. Like hundreds of thousands of others, I’ve peered through the windows of the Victorian time-capsule chemist shop at Flambards Theme Park. So, when I was given the rare opportunity to venture inside, I had a good idea of what to expect. But I wasn’t expecting this smell.
In 1987, an auctioneer went to inspect a property in South Petherton, Somerset, ahead of it being sold. The former shop was closed for good in 1971, when owner Margaret White decided that the introduction of decimal coins was a step too far.
The auctioneer discovered that the back half of the shop was completely sealed off, which, once accessed, revealed a dusty museum of medicine and prescriptions. This time-capsule that had not been touched for almost 80 years contained everything from the chemist’s shop that Margaret’s grandfather, William White, had run from 1880 up until his death in 1909.
The entire contents of the shop were put up for auction separately from the property, and snapped up by Flambards. This time-capsule chemist shop was then rebuilt in the theme park in as true a likeness as possible to how it was discovered, using all of the original stock that was sealed away when William White died.
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I have photographed enough abandoned buildings to expect the stench of mould and decay when I enter them, but in this recreated environment at Flambards, where the cobwebs are just for effect, all of those stale odours are absent. Instead, when the door is unlocked and I am given exclusive access inside the famous time-capsule shop early one morning before the visitors arrive, the smell that hits me is one of medicine, varnished wood and herbal remedies – the same smell that would have greeted customers over 100 years ago.
Here are 36 pictures from inside the famous time-capsule chemist shop - click on the Next button at the bottom of the page to see them all.
Although the doors are normally locked, William White’s time-capsule chemist shop is the grand finale of the Victorian Village at Flambards - although anyone who has visited with children eager to get back outside to the rollercoaster may have missed the remarkable story behind it.
(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)1 of 36
William White ran the chemist shop in South Petherton from 1880 until he died in 1909. Whilst William had been a qualified pharmacist, his son Charles, who took over the shop following his father’s death, was not.
(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)2 of 36
It is most likely for this reason that Charles sealed off the back half of the shop with all its apothecary bottles and beautiful drawers containing herbs and berries, which his father had dispensed as his own herbal remedies alongside the manufactured medicines.
(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)3 of 36![Inside the Victorian time-capsule chemist shop that lay untouched for 80 years before being discovered and moved to Flambards Theme Park in Helston.]()
With half of it entombed behind wooden boards, Charles ran the chemist shop until his daughters took it over following his death in 1952.
(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)4 of 36![Inside the Victorian time-capsule chemist shop that lay untouched for 80 years before being discovered and moved to Flambards Theme Park in Helston.]()
Never touching the sealed off time-capsule of their grandfather’s shop, Margaret and Evelyn White lived above the chemist’s even after they decided to close it for good in 1971.
(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)5 of 36![Inside the Victorian time-capsule chemist shop that lay untouched for 80 years before being discovered and moved to Flambards Theme Park in Helston.]()
At the time of the sale of the chemist shop, it was reported that Margaret had closed it because of the introduction of decimal coins.
(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)6 of 36![Inside the Victorian time-capsule chemist shop that lay untouched for 80 years before being discovered and moved to Flambards Theme Park in Helston.]()
Change in old farthings and shillings were found in the till from the takings on Margaret's last day in the shop.
(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)7 of 36![Inside the Victorian time-capsule chemist shop that lay untouched for 80 years before being discovered and moved to Flambards Theme Park in Helston.]()
Evelyn ended up in a nursing home, and when Margaret died in 1987, it prompted the sale of the property.
(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)8 of 36![Inside the Victorian time-capsule chemist shop that lay untouched for 80 years before being discovered and moved to Flambards Theme Park in Helston.]()
Auctioneers went to inspect the property, taking along a local pharmacist to remove any dangerous drugs from the shop, including opium, arsenic and morphine.
(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)9 of 36![Inside the Victorian time-capsule chemist shop that lay untouched for 80 years before being discovered and moved to Flambards Theme Park in Helston.]()
It was then that they discovered the older part of the chemist shop, that had been sealed off and left untouched for almost 80 years.
(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)10 of 36![Inside the Victorian time-capsule chemist shop that lay untouched for 80 years before being discovered and moved to Flambards Theme Park in Helston.]()
Many of the items were in surprisingly good condition, including William White's original prescription book.
(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)11 of 36![Inside the Victorian time-capsule chemist shop that lay untouched for 80 years before being discovered and moved to Flambards Theme Park in Helston.]()
Huge scales on the counter for measuring out tea and soap.
(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)12 of 36![Inside the Victorian time-capsule chemist shop that lay untouched for 80 years before being discovered and moved to Flambards Theme Park in Helston.]()
A half pound of tea wrapped and ready for a customer on the counter.
(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)13 of 36![Inside the Victorian time-capsule chemist shop that lay untouched for 80 years before being discovered and moved to Flambards Theme Park in Helston.]()
Implements for making remedies, such as pestles and mortars, were found in the sealed off room. William White would have used these to make his own medicines.
(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)14 of 36![Inside the Victorian time-capsule chemist shop that lay untouched for 80 years before being discovered and moved to Flambards Theme Park in Helston.]()
Hundreds of bottles were found in the shop, all promising cures for various ailments.
(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)15 of 36![Inside the Victorian time-capsule chemist shop that lay untouched for 80 years before being discovered and moved to Flambards Theme Park in Helston.]()
Quoted in The Times newspaper ahead of the auction, Ann Clarke of Lawrence Fine Art auctioneers from Crewkerne commented: “It is the most astonishing time-capsule and we have never seen anything like it before.”
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(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)16 of 36
