An old-fashioned haberdashers in a 1422 house
If you are a fan of family-run haberdashers with rhyming names housed in historic buildings, there’s only one place to go: Duttons for Buttons.
Steve Jobs would’ve hated it. He suffered from koumpounophobia, or fear of buttons (hence his affinity for the sort of touch-screen products which his company, Apple, made famous), and there are more than a million of the fasteners in stock at the Coppergate shop at any time. Everyone else, though, falls in love with Duttons for Buttons as soon as they cross the threshold, partly because the selection is breathtaking. The buttons come in all sizes, colours, and materials, and there are around 12,000 different designs to choose from. The shop’s name doesn’t do justice to the full range, which also includes zips, ribbons, and home embroidery kits.
Info
Address 32 Coppergate, York, YO1 1NR, +44 (0)1904 632042, www.duttonsforbuttons.co.uk, michelle@duttonsforbuttons.co.uk | Public Transport 3-minute walk from Piccadilly car park. Closest bus stops: Piccadilly and Clifford Street | Hours Mon–Sat 9:30am–5:30pm| Tip Duttons for Buttons features on the York Crafters Trail, which also includes Ramshambles, on Shambles; Knit & Stitch, on Colliergate; and Gillies Fabrics, on Peter Lane.
The brainchild of Abe Goodman, a businessman who was part of the Leeds rag trade, Duttons for Buttons came into existence in 1956. There are now three shops, including branches in Harrogate and Ilkley; but the York outlet has the edge thanks to its historic home. Dating from the 1400s, the building’s original timber frame survives almost intact. During renovation work in 1983, architects uncovered a 16th-century fireplace. And a false ceiling on the second floor was knocked through to reveal the original roof beams dating back to the time of Henry V; you can even see the original carpenters’ marks for the alignment of the timbers.
Drusilla White, Abe’s daughter, took over the business on her father’s death, in 1968, and has travelled the world to find the best and most exotic buttons. The expertise of the Duttons staff also sees them regularly consulted by Hollywood designers – their buttons have featured in movies including Pirates of the Caribbean and Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. No wonder one US visitor described the shop as a “British treasure.”
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