Cromhall Community Village Shop
On Mondays, the Post Office closes between 1pm and 2pm. It is closed all day on Wednesdays and at weekends.
Services Offered
The shop offers fresh fruit and veg, eggs, and a large selection of local produce.
How the Village Shop & Post Office came to be
With the shop celebrating its 10th birthday, here's the story of how it all started...
When Cromhall’s original shop and post office closed in 1992, a small group of volunteers surveyed every household to find out how villages felt about its loss.
Most people missed the amenity very much, especially older folk, children and those without transport. They did want a shop, but the most obvious result of the survey was the real need for a Post Office and a place to meet and chat.
A public meeting was held, a steering group formed, and the idea of starting a community shop began. With the help of ViRSA (Village Retail Services Association), then in its infancy, the group set up a Village Shop Association with £10 membership.
Buying the old shop premises would have been too expensive, and there were no other suitable buildings in the village, so the group''s only option was a portable building on an old allotment site. This piece of land belonged to the District Council, which took some persuading that a Portakabin could look attractive and would not be a permanent option. Eventually, they granted the group two years on this site. Considering they had to clear the topsoil and put in mains drainage, water and electricity, they did wonder whether it was going to be worth all the effort.
To raise the start-up funds of £14,000, the group sold bonds worth £50 each to villagers, received donations from local businesses and held fundraising events. The Parish Council supplied a loan to buy the initial stock, as there were very few grants available then.
There were many setbacks during the two and a half years it took to open the shop, and it seemed at times the group would never succeed. The shop began to trade in 1995 and is open from 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday and until 1pm on Saturdays. A dedicated, jolly team of volunteers, aged between 14 and 83 runs it; the shop has rarely closed due to lack of help.
When the two years were up, the group applied for an extension to the planning consent and were thrilled to be granted another six years. In 2003, the extension process began again.
Crucial to the success of this type of venture is the enthusiasm and tenacity of a dedicated few. All too often village shops and post offices are not appreciated until they close. Most villagers in Cromhall use it as much as possible to ensure the continued success of a project that means so much to so many. The volunteers often ask themselves, though, why not everyone in the village uses the shop. It offers competitive prices, fresh fruit and vegetables delivered twice a week, eggs from the local farmer, and local produce that no supermarket can provide. This includes ice cream, honey, smoked trout pate, cakes, preserves, chutneys, quiches, bread, wine, cordials and, of course, fruit and vegetables from local gardens when available.
The shop''s volunteers are very proud of the different types of local produce on offer, and always look for new ways to attract customers. In 2003 the Post Office won ''Best Rural Post Office in the South West'', and the venture goes from strength to strength.