Up until the 1940's the Company has dabbled in the merchanting business and as far back as 1913, the records show a mixed consignment of cement, laths, timber, chimney pots etc. The Builders Merchants side of the Company took off after 1945 when Douglas and Rowland returned from the forces. The first step was into fireplaces and kitchen ranges and gradually spread to bathroom suites, sanitary fittings and plumbing materials. The first Company wagon was purchased in 1948 and this transported material for the Slater’s jobs as well as delivering orders for the Builder’s Merchants
In 1950 the building on Station Road which had previously been the old stables was converted into a showroom for fireplaces, bathroom suites, etc. The policy of expansion was decided upon.
No. 1 Meadow Terrace (the row of houses adjoining the Station Road premises) was purchased in 1946. This is now the existing bathroom and kitchen showroom. The first new warehouse built in 1954 on the south side of the top yard gave an extra 1200 square feet of floor space and was known within the Company as ‘The Bath House’.
In 1955 the Company split into two separate limited companies Matthew Charlton & Sons (Slaters) Limited and Matthew Charlton & Sons (Builders Merchants) Limited. Douglas Charlton managed the Slating business and Rowland Charlton the Builders Merchants business. More houses along the frontage of Station Road were purchased in 1957 and 1960 and were used for more showroom space. In 1963 a translucent cover was erected over the top yard that enabled vehicles to be loaded under dry conditions. In 1964 the premises were extended to the south where the warehouse was built in 1954, this gave a further 5,000 square feet of floor space. A piece of land, previously an orchard, was purchased at Chareway Lane, Hexham where the Merchants’ Joinery Department is now located. This was initially used to store building materials that could stand outside. In 1965 the first fork life was purchased.
In 1972 the Company erected a building at Chareway Lane. In 1977 the builder’s yard at the east end of Outlet Road was purchased and in 1978 the land and premises owned by Alco in Outlet Road adjacent to Matthew Charlton’s property was purchased. Matthew Charlton & Sons (Slaters) Ltd’s Hexham office and yard space came from this purchase.
In 1988 a small DIY store in Morpeth was purchased. The shop had been called Robson’s DIY and continued to trade under this name for a number of years until it was felt that the Matthew Charlton banner should be put over the doorway. Charlton’s branch in Morpeth is a thriving part of the Merchants’ business, that not only serves the local retail community, but also has a thriving trade business, supplying items from their stock and acting as a satellite depot for products stocked at Hexham. In June 1994 the Morpeth branch moved to larger and better equipped premises in Oldgate and today continues to serve its customers to a high standard.
In December 1995, the Merchants acquired the Builders Merchants H. Raine & Company (Trading as Contract House) in Ponteland. This was part of our expansion plans for the Merchants in the Newcastle area. Ponteland Branch is today responsible for 10% of the Merchants’ turnover and has a thriving trade and retail business. Ponteland has a good stock range but also, as with Morpeth, acts as a satellite depot for products stocked at Hexham.
In December 1996, we purchased the Former Regional Government H.Q. (Nuclear Bunker) on Alemouth Road in Hexham.
In January 1997, Rowland Charlton, M.B.E., died. He was the Company’s Chairman and the founder of the Builders Merchants. Today Ailene Charlton, Group Chairman and Angus Charlton, Group Managing Director, continue to run the businesses as a family concern.
A new holding company, The Charlton Group Ltd., was created to hold the shares of the existing companies and today the Charlton Group has diversified into other businesses such as Hotel Solutions Ltd, which sells Hotel Furniture to the Hotel and Hospitality Industry and Arboreta which is an online operation selling a huge range of home and garden furniture and accessories direct to the consumer.
Matthew Charlton & Sons (Slaters) Ltd. is a thriving part of this group. Over the years we have opened a department in Penrith and moved our Stamfordham depot to Ponteland, so that we can serve a wide geographical area from our three bases. We strive hard to carry out high quality work which is good value for money in our specialist field of traditional roofing. Our long list of successful contracts, from castles to cottages, from cathedrals to council houses, is testament to this effort.
Our customers always come first. Our greatest assets are our staff and their commitment to quality and customer service.
The Group continues to expand as the years go by. It’s expansion would not have been possible without the input and the commitment of its staff. No doubt in years to come it will continue to expand into other areas and other markets.
Last Updated: November 03, 2007