The building

We’re refurbishing 15 Silver Street into a vital community hub for Masham’s future, inspired by our past.

You’ll be able to immerse yourself in living history in our Victorian grocers shop and Edwardian tearoom, learn a heritage skill in the Bakehouse training centre, and send a letter at the Post Office.

We’re also creating four affordable rental flats for local people.

  • Go back to the 1850s in our refurbished grocers shop.

  • Stop for a slice of cake in our restored tearoom and learn about life in Edwardian Masham.

  • We’re turning the building’s old Bakehouse into a centre for training, learning and discovery.

  • We’re bringing a Post Office counter back to Masham.

  • We’re creating four much-needed rental flats for local people.

Vintage scale on a wooden counter with blocks of cheese in front, shelves with bread and woven baskets in the background, sunlight streaming through a window.

Victorian grocers shop

Our Victorian grocers will be a living history experience. We’re recreating the wooden counter that once spanned the length of the shop, with a traditional shopkeeper, the smell of loose-leaf teas and fresh coffee, and goods sold by weight.

You’ll be able to buy local produce from across the Dales, packaged sustainably, along with everyday essentials like bread, milk, and sugar - just as it used to be when Peacock & Verity was in its heyday.

Post Office counter

We’re also bringing a much-needed Post Office counter back to Masham, so you can pick up some stamps as well as a bottle of milk!

A vintage-style dining table set for a tea or breakfast, with a white lace tablecloth, delicate pink napkins, floral china cups and saucers, a floral teapot with gold trim, a glass serving dish, a small bouquet of flowers, and four wooden chairs around the table.

Edwardian tearoom

Peacock & Verity opened a tearoom on the first floor of the building in 1914. For many years it offered high-class service and a refined atmosphere that became a beloved part of Masham. (It actually opened five years before Betty’s - perhaps we were the inspiration!) 

As part of our refurbishment, we’ll be reintroducing the Edwardian tearoom to the ground floor of the building. Visitors will be able to enjoy teas, cakes, and light meals, and learn about life in Edwardian Masham.

An old, rusty fireproof cabinet with two doors, surrounded by metal racks and cardboard boxes in a cluttered workspace.

The Bakehouse training centre

We're turning the shop’s old Victorian bakehouse into a heritage and skills centre - a space for learning, creativity, and hands-on exploration. Designed for all ages, the Bakehouse will host workshops, teach traditional skills, celebrate local history, and provide access to an archive of more than 25,000 historical documents.

Yes, there are ovens - and we’re bringing them back to life! These dramatic features will be brought back to working order and used in live demonstrations of 19th-century baking, offering school groups and visitors an immersive glimpse into the past.

A digital rendering of a three-story building with a stone facade on one side and white walls on the other, featuring large windows and a small storefront with three people standing outside on the sidewalk.

Affordable housing for local people

We’re converting the top two floors of the building into four affordable rental flats for local people. They will be managed by Karbon Homes and kept exclusively available for people with a connection to Masham. 

We believe that members of our local community who want to live, work, and stay in Masham should have access to affordable, small rental homes - yet this is becoming increasingly difficult.

Masham is a beautiful town with a rich history and a strong, close-knit community. It's no surprise that people want to retire here, buy second homes, or invest in holiday rentals. But as a result, properties are quickly bought up for short-term lets, leaving very few options for local people looking to rent.