Wee Birdy

Cross
the threshold of this unassuming South-East London shop and you’ll
catch a whiff of the old-fashioned herbal remedies that made it
London’s leading apothecary in its Victorian heyday. 

And
whilst they no longer peddle bottles of the extremely popular Touch
& Go (for “Warts, Corns and Hard Skin”), you can still purchase a
refreshing pint of Sarsaparilla for 30p.

In
1969, G Baldwin and Co moved from 77 Walworth Road to its present
location at number 171, but the shop retains much of its charm and
original features including a long counter, apothecary wooden drawers
and glass jars.

Today
the family business is divided into two stores: an excellent health
food shop on one side, and the traditional herbalist next door. I was
given a sneak-peek behind the scenes, and discovered the fragrant oils
room where all of the bottling is done on-site, as well as a thriving
mail-order business.

Part
of the attraction of Baldwin’s these days is its affordable range of
essential oils, natural products and aromatherapy products. I swear by
their organic Rosehip Oil,
a total steal at £7.99, which I use as an inexpensive glow-giving face
serum at night. Rosehip oil can be found as an ingredient in many major
beauty brands' more expensive anti-ageing products, due to its high
levels of anti-oxidants and collagen-boosting Vitamin A. It's also
excellent for healing blemishes and acne scars.

I also love their range of old-fashioned amber bottles and jars, which come in a variety of sizes that would look gorgeous lined up on your bathroom shelf (in manner of Aesop chic). In fact, Baldwin’s is an excellent source for all sorts of crafty DIY beauty ingredients, including bulk packages of dead sea bath salts and silicone soap-making moulds.

Each visit reveals interesting new finds (Stuff in a Tub icecream; English honey cappings; Dr Bronner's soap) and budget buys (luxury handmade soap for £2.89) – making Baldwin's one of London’s true hidden shopping gems.

G Baldwin & Co
171/173 Walworth Road
London SE17 1RW
Tel. 020 7703 5550
Nearest tube/rail: Elephant & Castle
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday 9am – 5.30pm

For more shops in South East London, click here.

* Please bear with me - I'm flying back to my Sydney nest so I'm digging into the Wee Birdy archives for a couple of weeks. Normal posting (and ace new London shops) will resume shortly. xx