4 St George’s Street
This M&S store was built in 1930. With its full pediment over the front facade, it was amongst the most stylish of M&S stores of the period – others of similar grandure can be seen only in Winchester and Peterborough. German bombing in the early hours of Monday 1 June 1942, part of the ‘Baedeker raids’, resulted in the destruction, or later demolition, of most properties standing in St George’s Street. Two miraculous survivors were the tower of St George’s church and the M&S building.
What to see:
- the only retail premises in St George’s Street to survive the Canterbury Baedeker raid (Image 1)
- the impressive pediment with cartouche and large swags of leaves and fuit (Image 2)
DL
