A family-run builders' merchants have opened a new store in a North Yorkshire market town.

The 163-year-old family-run builders’ merchant company, JT Atkinson, has opened its 37th branch this week in the heart of Helmsley, selling building, plumbing and heating supplies to the trade and public.

The new shop is in Duncombe Sawmill on Sawmill Lane, and will continue the long history of the Sawmill with handcrafted timber including gates, garden furniture and fencing as well as offering a full range of building, landscaping and plumbing materials.

Darlington and Stockton Times: Inside the new shopInside the new shop (Image: JT Atkinson)

Duncombe Sawmill, originally part of the Duncombe Park Estate, is over 120 years old and moved to its current location in the last century when it was briefly known as Bobbin Mill.

Once one of four sawmills based in Helmsley the site has undergone a huge redevelopment, improving the joiners workshops and creating a new JT Atkinson shop and warehouse to cater for the tradespeople of Helmsley and beyond with plans to create a showroom for bathrooms, doors, floors and stoves.

Now in its seventh generation of Atkinson family leadership, JT Atkinson is proud to be part of the Sawmill’s future in Helmsley.

Darlington and Stockton Times: The new store from the outsideThe new store from the outside (Image: JT Atkinson)

Managing director, Jamie Atkinson, said: “We’re delighted to be finally opening the doors to our new site in Helmsley after many months of redevelopment and we thank our loyal customers for their patience.

"The whole site looks amazing and we’re really pleased with how the design retains the feel of the traditional sawmill. We’ve invested in our joinery workshop to improve our bespoke joinery offering, especially the fantastic gates and garden furniture that Duncombe Sawmill is famous for.

"We’ve created a new shop and warehouse facility, to offer our vast range of building, timber, and plumbing products and in the near future we plan to bring a new concept showroom to Helmsley which will offer a great space for our customers to browse our bathroom, joinery and landscaping products.

"Helmsley has long been in our sights as a place to open a branch and it links our existing branches at Pickering, Stokesley and Thirsk nicely. We’ve got a friendly and knowledgeable team who are excited to finally open the doors and welcome customers new and old.”