Last week we took a look at the old cinema in Melksham's High Street. This week we move further along the High Street to the junction of Church Street and take a look back.

Our archive picture, taken around 1920, shows the large premises of Stratton, Sons and Mead to the right.

Growing up the side of the store is a magnificent espaliered pear tree and to the right is a three-storey house and garden.

Stratton, Sons and Mead was a flourishing wholesale grocery business established by James Stratton in around 1842.

He lived at the Grange in the Conigre before coming to live above the shop.

Later he moved to Lease Cottage with three of his daughters, Mary, Maria and Caroline.

The business was carried on by his two sons, Alfred and George. For nearly 100 years the Stratton family was to play a dominant role in the religious and political life of the town.

From our present day picture you can see Woolworths is now on the site where Strattons once stood.

An arched passageway next door to Strattons has since become the site of a bakers.

The shop on the left was in the 1920s a hardware business offering car and motorcycle repairs.

This corner shop later became Bigwoods Hardware store and was then a jewellers before it became Kavanaghs estate agents.

At the end of the street is the George Inn, which was demolished to make way for a wider road.

This was replaced with a British Gas showroom and later a bridal shop.