THE YARD AT 15

A Brief History

15 years on

It’s incredible to think, The Yard turns 15 years old in Nov 2024. Yeah, I know! For some, we’ve remained remarkably well hidden, almost like a secret member’s club for those in the know. Hidden away amongst the houses in Dews Road and West Street, The Yard was always a commercial building, with the site being used since the 1870s at least. As the area around Dews Road developed with the railway station, more houses were built up around the site, thus creating our little oasis just off of Fisherton Street. The Yard has been a labour of love, a vision carved out from a neglected industrial space, and the route to reaching the 15 year milestone hasn’t always been easy. My name’s Joe, I’m the son/brother of the family business, and the more recent addition. Below I’ve charted The Yard’s journey as much as I’ve been able to.

The Yard has evolved from when it first opened its doors in 2009. I was “working” that launch night (handing out wine), and the space still needed filling with stock that hadn’t arrived, and the gallery upstairs had its first exhibition to come. Now it is brimming with plants, quirky decor and furnishings, and a fancy coffee machine in the kitchen. It has always been a family venture, first between mum and daughter duo Hilary and Vicki Nicholson, before I came along to antagonise them (and make coffee). However, the site has been in use since 1994 by our family and having grown up across the road it seems to have always been a part of our landscape.

history of the site

The old warehouse had always been used commercially since the 1870s when it was used as stables. Although we’ve lost some of the old maps, the OS map pictured shows the first buildings on the plot next to Rope Walk (there was a Rope Factory connected to the site). Later on, a Methodist Church was constructed where Elim Church is now, and the old school house was turned into a Printing Press for the Salisbury Times. This in turn became a Leather Factory (I remember this when I was little as being particularly grim) while the flats in Sovereign Court were Refrigeration works. Being close to the Station, it’s little surprise the area had industrial units, and it wasn’t until the 1990s that these started to disappear or be redeveloped. There were even a few pubs around, which Mum remembers as being particularly…characterful… In fact, when Mum and Dad wanted to buy their house in South Front the bank wouldn’t give them a mortgage initially as the area was too rough. How times change!

The houses surrounding The Yard’s warehouse were built around it at the same time as it was expanding. The alleyway entrance we use for the cafe now was the original entrance to this site, while the sliding doors onto Dews Road (which don’t work anymore) were for loading horse and carts. The rings which have our hanging baskets in were where they would use rope pulleys to unload the carts. Looking at the deeds we can the first business at the site was a funeral directors. Over time the site would become part of the printing press across the road, a battery factory, a bakery (which supplied the Bay Tree Restaurant, now Boston Tea Party on the High Street), and part of the leather factory opposite, among other enterprises. The upstairs window area was most likely a hayloft in its first life. The most recent addition to the building is where our kitchen space is now, likely in the 1950s/60s.

From 1994, Mum had a shop at the front on Dews Road, ‘Nicholsons’, refurbishing and selling church pews as well as gifts. Meanwhile, my Dad used the office upstairs and the warehouse at the rear for his sound engineering business. It was this way from 1994-2004. As Dad’s sound business grew, Mum called time on ‘Nicholsons’ to help with running it. However, this was only a temporary switch. Because an idea was bubbling away…

the yard takes shape

Mum and Vicki (recently graduated from Uni) had taken a trip to London to scout out some potential flats, as Vicki had wanted to enter fashion and design in London. But even then, the price for what you could get was disheartening. Even with the promises of area regeneration with the coming Olympics the areas were…let’s generously say, sketchy. They took a trip to Colombia Road Market, famous for its flowers and boutique shops, and came across renovated flats in Black Bird Yard. It was this area that really got them inspired. On the train back to Salisbury they got to thinking about The Yard’s potential. Something akin to these converted London buildings, eclectic and modern celebrating the building’s heritage. They could see how the warehouse space could be transformed into a stylish shop, with tea and cake, and an art gallery space upstairs. The London move got scrapped, and The Yard became the goal.

You had to really look. Even the builders who eventually started on it were perplexed about the undertaking. The warehouse was derelict. Trees were growing out the roof, it was cold and damp, and decades of industrial use and neglect made for a BIG project. But, that’s exactly what they did. So, the next 3 years was a lot of hard graft: cleaning, plastering, painting, scrubbing Edwardian tiles (which turned out were probably holding the place together), new electrics, new roof, new windows and doors, new frontage, opening up the original alleyway entrance and trying to warm up a place that had never been loved. So, between 2006-2009, The Yard started to take shape.

THe Yard, est. november 2009

On a dark and drizzly night in November 2009, The Yard opened with a little party for friends and family. I even came back from Uni to “help”. As you can see in the pictures, this new space still need filling. From 2009-2021, Mum and Vicki ran The Yard as a duo. Over the years the shop side grew, as did the cake offering, the courtyard area took shape, and without overtly advertising, The Yard grew a core of regular customers (some who had babies then who are now grown up!). Starting in 2009, the impact of the recession was being felt, but despite these choppy waters, and later things like Novichok and Covid, The Yard grew steadily (and changed colour a few times). 

There were also new additions to the team in Smelly and Timmy, the black and ginger cats who lived with Vicki in the flat at the front, above Mum’s old shop. They were great characters, with many people coming explicitly to see them. I remember as an English Postgrad being starstruck by author V.S. Naipaul in the Yard and wanting to talk to him, but he only had eyes for Smelly cat. Eventually the two boys were joined by Twinkle, who many of you know, who decided to move in from across the street. She basically refused to go and has stuck around ever since! 

Then of course, in 2016, Vicki adopted a young Boxer/Staffie pup called Sadie. Much calmer now at the age of 8, she was an excitable pup who had a lot of training and firm guidance from the trio of cats in cafe life. She can often be found trying to sunbathe in the courtyard or hogging the sofa by the fireplace waiting for someone to cuddle her.

2021 & COFFEE

During the Covid lockdowns, Mum and Vicki had time to reshape some things at The Yard, change up the decor, and introduce more plants. Sadly, Smelly and Timmy passed away during this time. Yet, it was also when I came aboard. I’d worked in specialty coffee and hospitality for a decade by that point and we discussed bringing coffee to The Yard. Correction, moving away from cafetiere coffee! So, two became three, and during the third lockdown in March 2021 (takeaway only) The Yard Coffee joined the line up and The Yard as it is today was formed, focusing on specialty coffee, homemade cakes and the shop in our hidden space nestled out the way. 

It’s crazy to think that The Yard is 15. The Yard has survived credit crunches, Novichok, Covid and a host of other things, even in its out of the way position. It’s evolved and improved thanks to the dedication of its founders, but it's also created a community, hidden away among the houses, still being discovered, and shocking people that it’s 15 years old. Whether you’re there for a coffee or cake, to see Sadie or Twinkle, or just relax in the space, we’re grateful for the regulars and newbies who’ve contributed to those 15 years so far. Here’s to the future :)