And so on our journey through Dumfries and Galloway it was on to Whithorn.

Whithorn has an important place in Scottish history as it was the location of the first Christian Church in Scotland after St Ninian crossed over from Ireland in the year 397 or thereabouts and the ruins of the mediæval Whithorn Priory stand in the town.

Architecturally Whithorn is a typical small Scottish town with stone built houses. I wasn’t really expecting any Art Deco but it does pop up in unlikely places.

Charles Coid, Butcher:-
There is a hint of eastern influence to this but the date in the cartouche is 1934 – slap bang in deco times – the geometric surround to the proprietor’s name with its mosaic construction and the towered roof line give it the look.

What looks like an old Woolworths; now houses “The Whithorn Story”:-

Georgian house:-

Memorial plaque to George Dickie, “Jack Brent,” member of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War:-

Pend leading to Whithorn Priory:-

The coat of arms above it is the Royal Arms of Scotland:-

Priory side of pend:-

Shutters on pend windows:-

Typical Art Deco style Woolworths building, now an estate agents:-

Ridged roofline, pillaring. Plus buddleia!!

Reverse entrance is a Nickel and Dime:-

Kendal is reasonably out of the way but it nevertheless has some Art Deco buildings.

This one is now a Home Bargains but looks as if it could once have been a Woolworths:-

There are nice curved swoops below the roofline. It’s a pity the windows’ eyes have been put out, though:-

Bodycare has “rule of three” in the windows and the roofline is decoish:-

It’s not surprising if a Burton’s is deco but in this one the main pointer is the company’s logo just below the roofline. The rest looks older than deco:-

Card Factory is just about deco. Is it the rendering – sadly now grey rather than white – or the roofline which gives it a deco feel?

As a town, Oswestry in Shropshire, England, may have seen better days. A lot of the buildings in the town centre looked tired.

The former Regal Cinema certainly has the deco look, though it’s now what looks like a hairdresser’s plus a Factory Shop. The original glazing would have looked better but the replacement windows are adequate:-

Reverse view. The canopy and roofline above are good features:-

Could this once have been a Woolworths? It’s now a Poundland anyway. And a Pep & Co:-

Frontal view:-

The Sports Direct has also seen better days:-

British Heart Foundation:-

This is now a B&M Bargains but may once have been a Woolworths. It has that look:-

Eden Rural Power:-

Reverse view. Art Deco rule of three in upper front and lower side windows:-

Doors on the Alhambra Cinema:-

Seen in an antique shop/yard. An old advert for Critall Windows, which were the height of Art Deco style. (The link contains all my mentions of Critall Windows):-

Pictures shamelessly stolen from diamond geezer’s post. (I’ve only included the Art Deco buildings.)

572-574 Roman Road, Bow, E3 5ES:-

Hackney, 333/337 Mare Street, E8 1HY:-

72-76 High Street North, East Ham, E6 2JL:-

These photos were shot from one or other of the two bus tours we took in Liverpool.

This looks like a former Burton’s* but may not be. It’s certainly Art Deco:-

A former Woolworths is to its left (right as you look at it.)

Former Woolworths closer view:-

*Edited to add:- I looked at this again and realised it was more like an old cinema so I researched old Liverpool cinemas and discovered it was the ABC Lime Street, see here.

This stunning builidng is hard by Blackpool Tower.

Loads of horizontals and verticals. And that clock tower! (Blackpool Tower behind):-

West (seaside) frontage. Now the Albert and Lion pub:-

Clock Tower:-

South facade and part of clock tower:-

Towards the rear the building has a delightful curve. Those portions now house a Poundland and a Sports Direct:-

The detailing here is sublime:-

Rear of building:-

Thanks to Duncan for this one.

A short history with photographs of British Woolworth’s shop fronts, whose heyday was of course in the Art Deco 1930s.

As Duncan says, an old Woolies is almost instantly recognisable.

This looks like it was once a Woolworths:-

This one’s now a Clinton’s:-

And this is a Ladbroke’s:-

The glazing on the Ladbroke’s is good:-