Independent hardware shops are becoming rare as they fight to compete with out of town multiples. Partridges is different, it has expanded dramatically since the 1980s and continues to go from strength to strength.

Our History

Deeds to our property confirm that there has been an ironmongery business here since 1823. An Ironmonger and Ironfounder Thomas Pritty aquired the busininess in 1823 from one Charles Pretty (possibly Pritty). Thomas ran the business until 1861 when he sold it to John Graham. After the death of John Graham in 1883, the business was left to his business partner Richard Crush Joslin. Sixteen years later in 1899, the business was leased to Henry Robert Taylor for 21 years at a price of £80 per annum. Richard died in 1900 leaving the business to his wife and brother. Eight years later, Henry Taylor bought the freehold and ran the business untill 1929. The company was then sold to Maitland Walter Partridge and Daniel Partridge of Kersey. The partnership did not last long and dissolved in 1934. At this point, Maitland and his siter Edith registered the name M W PARTRIDGE & CO. In 1949 we became a limited company. Maitland died in 1969 and left the business to the company directors.  Our current owner Keith Young of Cosford Properties acquired the company in 1984 from the three remaing directors, Frederick Thorpe, Frank Goymour and Leslie Pearson. Although the official trade name of our company is M W Partridge & Co Ltd, we are known locally as Partridges of Hadleigh.

Knowledgeable Staff

We pride ourselves on traditional values and have helpful staff on hand to give advice on our great range of products.

Worldwide Acclaim*

We are visited by customers from a wide local area including Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and obviously Suffolk, although we have also served people from as far afield as *France, *Canada, *South Africa, *Australia and *America. *Customers from outside of the UK have made personal visits to us, we limit our web site sales to UK customers only.

The Ever Changing Market

In order to keep abreast of an ever changing market we are constantly introducing new products as well as retaining many traditional lines. Operating from our extended premises in the centre of Hadleigh, Suffolk we have departments for Paint & Plumbing, Ironmongery & Security, Gardening - with everything for the garden except plants, Garden Machinery & Workshop Tools for every conceivable job. Our Housewares section has a superb selection of Bakeware including Baking Tins, Mixing Bowls, Kitchen Utensils, Cake Decorating, and Storage Tins.  For Wash Day there are Rotary Dryers, Pegs and Linen Baskets and a huge range of quality Cookware, Kitchen & Dining items. Our Lighting and Home Accessories department has an ever changing stock of traditional and modern lighting, glassware, wall art, gifts and occasional furniture. In our Footwear and Clothing Department we focus mainly on workwear and country wear. Garden Furniture has received special attention in recent years, ranging from simple hammocks and picnic chairs to traditional teak furniture and luxury modern relaxer chairs. For local customers we supply house coal, fire wood, kindling, water softener and dishwaher salt, these are available for collection or delivery by our delivery van within a 25 mile radius.

In our High Street store we offer an extensive range of cookware and hardware in the Ipswich, Suffolk area, with our on-line store we aim to offer a small sample of our excellent range of products to the whole of the U.K., maintaining our traditional values of customer service and product knowledge. Customers are welcome to telephone in with their product enquiries if they are unable to find the item on line.

For local customers to purchase in store or by telephone, we offer delivery by our own delivery van within a 25 mile radius of Hadleigh. Calor gas, house coal, logs, firewood, kindling, water softener salt and garden compost.

For visitors to our High Street Store we have key cutting facilities for cylinder and mortice keys, just bring in the key you need to copy. Our home accessories and lighting department is where you will find an ever changing selection of beautiful glass, mirrors, light fittings and lamps, occasional tables and drawers, wall art, wine racks, the list is endless, it has to be seen to be believed.

And finally, in our High Street store, our clothing and footwear department where we are stockists for Dickies Workwear, Hoggs Country Clothing, HJ socks, Hunter and Aigle Wellingtons. Here you will find a range of work and country trousers, shirts, shooting coats and shooting accessories, body warmers and fleeces, work boots, wellies, gardening gloves, hats, scarves and gloves, belts and braces, socks and hankies, walking sticks and umbrellas. Mainly mens clothing with country accessories for ladies and wellingtons and the Tractor Ted range for children.

Although not everything we stock is available online, our customer service staff are here to offer assistance, just give us a call in the old traditional way and we will take your order over the telephone.

We are open from 8.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Saturday.

Well worth a visit just to see a shop running in the old traditional way - it is often referred to as an Aladdin´s cave!

Hadleigh still has free parking.