Corfe Castle: a shadow falls over Clealls grocery

This building, a curious combination of stone and brick, stands opposite the Bankes Arms on Station Road, just to the left of the photo.

In the shop window on the right is a handwritten notice, inserted about a fortnight ago, which reads:

"With much sadness
we will be
Closing Down
on Sunday"


A shadow over the village of Corfe?

Four years ago Mary Portas devoted an hour's documentary programme on BBC TV to her advice to Clealls' new owners on how to run their business. The village is now without a grocery; some twenty to thirty years ago it had three. Perhaps someone will come up with a solution to this loss.

Corfe's much-loved and much-used Post Office is also under serious threat of closure.