Sale of Sneezum’s Town Centre Shop

Hazells were delighted to be chosen by family run business Sneezums to act on their behalf in the disposal of their freehold premises in central Bury St Edmunds.

Sneezums a house hold name within the town has been trading for over 150 years originally based in Ipswich and more latterly Bury St Edmunds. They bought there Cornhill site after the second world war and in the early 1960s agreed a deal with adjoining owners to redevelop the site to create the National Westminster Bank and their own shop. The shop arranged over ground and basement floors totals almost 2,500 sq ft and was latterly synonymous for jewellery and photographic equipment.

The Sneezums business is steeped in rich history. Originally established in 1874 on Fore Street in Ipswich by Henry Sneezum, the business began as a jeweller, pawnbroker, and clothier. In the early 1900s, under the second-generation owners Henry and Ray Sneezum, 14-20 Fore Street became H&R Sneezum and expanded its services to encompass gold and silver refining, bullion dealing and gunsmithing in addition to selling a diverse array of goods, including jewellery, photographic equipment, fireworks, tools, clothing and sports and musical equipment. During the war years and the gold rush, the business smelted gold and sent daily deliveries of the smelt to London by train.

The business expanded over the coming years to a total of ten shops located in Ipswich, Rayleigh, Thetford and Bury St Edmunds, involving third-generation family partners. In Bury St Edmunds the first Sneezum shop was at 5 St John’s Street Bury St Edmunds, originally owned by Walter Sneezum from around 1890.

The Sneezums business on the Cornhill in Bury St Edmunds was purchased in 1951. It was originally traded as W J Cook & Son, a picture frame maker, and a china, glass, and fancy goods merchant. The business grew during the 1950s to become a photographic retailer. The building on Cornhill was redeveloped in the mid to late 1960s and was reopened in 1971 by Clive Dunn from Dad’s Army. On reopening in 1971 on the Cornhill, Sneezums expanded by selling jewellery, watches, gifts, binoculars, telescopes, televisions, hi-fi, telephones and even a record department.

Sisters, Liz and Yvonne Sneezum have been proudly running the business for the past few decades and finally reached the difficult decision to retire. As part of the process they decided to sell the freehold of No 10 Cornhill, and kindly appointed Hazells to act on their behalf. We are pleased to confirm that this week a sale has completed to a private investor and we are delighted to say that Liz and Yvonne feel the property is now in very good hands for the future. The investor now intends to let the property on the open market and has appointed Hazells to act on their behalf.