The first written deeds we have of the property state that the lease was bought by John Sneaton of Sneaton – a shoe maker in the "thirteenth year of the reign of king Charles the first (1638) From Hugh Chomley – Knight of Whitby."

The building was in existence a good while before the 1638 date, the back of the property is timber framed and some parts are believed to be medieval. The fireplaces had been modernised in the Georgian era, the "inglenook" would have been open all the way up through the building originally.

When we were restoring the mantle shelf attached to the fire beam, we found a gap at the back down which many articles had fallen, over the centuries. Old shoe buckles (from the 1638 shoe maker) rings, bone combs, coins (one dated c16) A quill pen. buttons, hair pins, pieces of clay pipes, keys, beads, written notes, pencils and many other things, some of which we still have not identified, maybe you know what they are, please take a look!

We do not know all the names of the different inhabitants of this building but we know that the Sleightholme family lived and worked here in Victorian times, running the shop as a confectioners and bakery. Members of the family continued to run the business and in the 1960's it was still a bakery and tea rooms, a relative of the Sleightholmes has given us an old photograph of the shop circa 1900's and a photocopy of "Uncle Johnny carrying a tray of pies from the shop" circa 1909! We also have a clipping from the Whitby Gazette from 1879, of an advert of the shop proclaiming it to be a Coffee house, serving "herb" beer and other goods - these types of cafes had quite a raucous reputation and would be popular with sailors and ladies of ill repute.

We did not know about the bakery and pie connection until after we opened "Humble pie n Mash" so we seem to have returned the building back to its bakery tradition.

We hope you enjoy our lovely old shop and our delicious pies.