Knowles Travel Goods on Broad Street is closing its doors

Knowles Travel Goods, in Broad Street, has reduced the price of all of its stock and is displaying signs that the business is closing.

Outside the business, a sign can be seen which reads "all stock reduced. Store closing. Everything must go."

On the shop windows, there are also large signs that read "closing down".

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Sign on Broad Street outside of the business. (Image: Newsquest)

A closing date has not been announced. 

The Knowles name has been a presence in the city centre since 1884, when Albert Knowles opened A J Knowles Ltd, a saddle and tennis racket shop.

Albert died from pneumonia at the age of just 39 in 1902 and his wife Mary took over the store.

Their son Arthur took over when he returned from serving in the First World War, working in the shop for the next five decades until he died in 1971 at the age of 78.

From then, his son Robin ran the shop which had by then expanded to two shops, until his tragic death in a climbing accident in 1992 at the age of 60.

After Robin's death, Rick took over the shop having worked as a ski instructor in Switzerland before joining the family business at the age of 20.

There was also a Knowles Sports location on Broad Street, which closed in February 2020 alongside the travel goods shop, before re-opening under new ownership later in the same year.

The shop calls itself the oldest leather and travel goods shop in the city on its Facebook page.