The Heart of Weston
Opening Hours
Mon:
Tue:
Wed:
Thu:
Fri:
Sat:
9:00am - 5:00pm
9:00am - 5:00pm
9:00am - 5:00pm
9:00am - 5:00pm
9:00am - 5:00pm
9:00am - 5:00pm
Store tour
our story
Family - Quality - Local - Independent - Service
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Walker & Ling is an independent department store on Weston high street. We have been trading in Weston for over 115 years; the same Walker family has served the town since day one, so family and community is really important to us.
We're a small, highly-experienced team. We are not a chain, there's no call centre or head office and at the moment you can't buy online (apart from Gift Vouchers). Our speciality is bringing a selection of the best high street brands under one roof and serving the people and visitors of Weston with a smile.
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For more about our history, read on below.
Sam Walker
Walker & Ling was established by William Ling and Samuel Walker in Bath in 1892. In 1904, Samuel Walker opened a branch of the now successful drapery business in Weston-super-Mare. His son Charles Walker ('Charlie') became a partner in 1908 and took over sole ownership in 1925 when his father died. The Ling family came out of the partnership in 1936, and Walkers have run the business ever since.
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In 1942, with almost 100 staff in the Weston store, the shop was almost entirely destroyed by bombing. It was later redesigned and rebuilt, but the back stock rooms are still original brickwork.
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After the war, Charles’ sons Peter and Roger joined the business. In 1954 the store celebrated 50 years of trading in Weston. The rebuild of the store was completed in 1959, including the beautiful lift that still operates very happily today! Tony Walker, then 4 years old, reopened the store.
Tony joined the family business in 1973, and the four men worked together until Charles Walker died in June 1976, only a few days before his 90th birthday. Roger retired in 1989 and Peter retired in 1997.
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Tony Walker then took on the daily running of the business until 2013 when Tony's son Sam joined the business.
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Now the store stocks top high street names like Joules, Seasalt, White Stuff, Barbour, Rieker, Apricot, Skechers, Esprit and Superdry.
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In 2021, the 50s architecture was restored to its original design. In partnership with North Somerset Council and Heritage England, the same green tiles, made by the same Italian company, were restored, and the brass lettering above the door was replaced. For more information on the New Front, see here.
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...and the rest is history!
