KNOWN for a long time as Taunton’s heart of the community, on this day in 2016 advanced talks were in place to close Taunton’s County Stores.

Situated right in the centre of Taunton town on North Steet, near Castle Green, County Stores has served customers for nearly 200 years.

The shop, which had a food hall and sold groceries and gifts in its three-storey premises, was the latest victim of the high street crisis.

Despite proposals in 2016 for the well-loved department store to close, it wasn’t until October 2018 that an official closure date was announced, with County Stores stopping trading completely in January 2019.

County Stores had been run by five generations of the Duder family since 1832 and has also housed the Taunton Post Office since January 2014, when the latter relocated from the nearby building now occupied by Ask restaurant.

Formed in 1836, Taunton's County Stores was open for almost 200 years. (Image: Newsquest) Since coming in, the post office remained in the former department store building with customers able to use it until it had to move again in March 2019.

Announcing the previously proposed closure, director James Duder told the County Gazette: “Over the past few years, the high street retail environment has become very challenging, with lots of retailers struggling in the current retail climate.

“The situation has been no different at The County Stores and in recent months it has become apparent that, despite all our efforts, The County Stores cannot continue to trade with its current structure and size.”

At the time, Mr Duder, one of the directors, said the potential buyer hoped to gain planning permission for a car museum on the ground floor, with a cafe at the front and motorcycles upstairs.

Fast forward to 2024, and the County Stores building is back in use. In November, Richard Hammond officially opened the County Classics Motor Museum, which houses a collection of classic cars, motorcycles and an aeroplane.