In1896thegovernmentpassedtheLocomotiveActenablingprivatepeopletooperatetheirownpetrol-drivenautomobiles.At thebeginning,petroleumspiritwasonlyavailablefromchemistsorspecialisedstores.Intimehowever,Petrol Stationsstartedtoopen.BelowisalistanddescriptionofallthePetrolStations,thateverexistedinthevillage - only one is now remaining.1896 - Bemister's Stores, 91 West StreetAphotographofabout1896showsasignonthebuildingofBemistersStoresreading"Pratt'sSpirit".Thiswastheearliestform ofpetrolavailable,andwouldhavebeenstockedforusebythelocalgentry.Itispossiblethatsomelocalfarmmachinerywas also petrol driven, and it is known that by 1914 Major Radclyffe owned a 35-hp Daimler motor car at Hyde House.1920s to 1950s - Corner Shop/17 North StreetMr ArthurJanestookoverhisfather'sshopandrespondingtodemandfrom"passingtrade"set upapetrol-pumpatthefrontoftheshop,onthePooleroadside.Aphotographofthelate 1920s/early1930sshowsMrJanesoutsidetheshoptogetherwithanearlypumpand "Mobiloil"signs.ItisknownthatT.E.Lawrence(akaT.E.Shaw;akaLawrenceof Arabia) stoppedhereonhismotor-cycletopurchasepetrol,andchatwiththelocalson"thecross"by 1933.Anothersetofpumpsweresetupinapull-inspaceonNorthStreetshortlyafterthis.Youcansee them in the Photograph here.1929 - Central Garage, 33 West StreetOppositetheDraxArms,MrCharlesKellowayhadhisengineersandblacksmithsbusinessadjacentto No.33(nowgone)togetherwithworkshopsbehind.Bythetimeofthe1931 TradeDirectory,hedescribed histradeas"repairs,cycles,accessories,blacksmith",withthebusinessname"CentralGarage". Therewasapull-inandtwoShellpetrolpumpsfromthistimeanda1000gallonundergroundtank. TherewasabigsignonthegableendofNo.33saying"CentralGarage",thesignwasstillthereina photograph of 1957 and the business continued until about 1958-60. Mr Kelloway died in 1962.1949 - West End GarageOnthesouthsideoftheroad,adjacenttoanex-WW165-footlongwoodenhut,apetrolstationwassetupbytheColesfamily. Petrolpumpswerebegunontheeastsideofthehutandthekioskwasalsoasmallshopsellingcycle partsandsweetsetc.Itwascalled"WestEndGarage",andthehutsurviveduntildemolitionafter 1988.Bythe1960sanothersitewasopenedovertheroad(inthetriangleoflandnowoccupied byTheChaneles)andcalled"WoodburyHillServiceStation",butthissitefinallyclosedinthelate 1970sbeforetheChaneleswerebuilt. Thesitehadremainedderelictforovertwoyears.Inthe1960sa newShellFillingStationwasbuilttotheeastoftheWW1building.Thisconsistedofapull-insiteandasmallshop,and continueduntilclosinginabout1980. AnaerialphotodatedFebruary1970showsthe65-footwoodenbuildingandadjacentpull-inspace,andthenext-doornewerFillingStationinfulloperation. Aphotoof1984showsthenewerforecourtstillvisiblebefore the current dwellings (No. 43/44) were put up in the late 1980s.1956 - Old Barn Service StationSituatedinthespacebetweenNo.36/37andNo.38WestStreetonthesiteofthe"OldBarn"dating backtoperhaps1680originally.Mr&MrsCharlesJarvissetupthepull-infillingstationinlate 1956,sellingEssopetrol,whilethebuildingalsoincludedan"EssoServicentre"forcar servicingandrepairs.Itwasextendedtotheeastbyanadditionalbuildingputupin1961. Therewerefourpumpsandthree750gallonundergroundtanksplusa325gallonunderground diesel tank. It finally closed in the first half of 1988 and was demolished in April 1989.1992 - Townsend Filling StationSituatedontheby-passatthejunctionoftheA35andA31,aphotographdatedJanuary1991showsthesiteempty,butthe industrialunitsbuilt.Originallythiseight-pumpfillingstationwasownedbyMargramandleasedtoBP,butbyabout1995was ownedbyShell,asitstillisin2011. AllthevillagefillingstationshadclosedbythetimetheTownsendsitewentintooperation.It isnowoneofthebusiestfillingstationsintheareaduetocompetitivepricingofpetrolanddiesel.Thesitealsohasan extensively stocked shop and a car-wash unit.
In1896thegovernmentpassedtheLocomotiveActenabling privatepeopletooperatetheirownpetrol-driven automobiles.Atthebeginning,petroleum spiritwasonlyavailablefromchemistsor specialisedstores.Intimehowever,PetrolStationsstartedto open.BelowisalistanddescriptionofallthePetrolStations, that ever existed in the village - only one is now remaining.1896 - Bemister's Stores, 91 West StreetAphotographofabout1896showsasignonthebuildingof BemistersStoresreading"Pratt'sSpirit".Thiswastheearliest formofpetrolavailable,andwouldhavebeenstockedforuse bythelocalgentry.Itispossiblethatsomelocalfarm machinerywasalsopetroldriven,anditisknownthatby1914 MajorRadclyffeowneda35-hpDaimlermotorcaratHyde House.1920sto1950s-Corner Shop/17 North StreetMrArthurJanestook overhisfather'sshopand respondingtodemandfrom "passingtrade"setupapetrol-pumpatthefrontoftheshop, onthePooleroadside.Aphotographofthelate1920s/early 1930sshowsMrJanesoutsidetheshoptogetherwithanearly pumpand"Mobiloil"signs.ItisknownthatT.E.Lawrence(aka T.E.Shaw;akaLawrenceofArabia)stoppedhereonhis motor-cycletopurchasepetrol,andchatwiththelocalson"the cross" by 1933.Anothersetofpumpsweresetupina pull-inspaceonNorthStreet shortlyafterthis.Youcansee them in the Photograph here.1929 - Central Garage, 33 West StreetOppositetheDraxArms,MrCharles Kellowayhadhisengineersand blacksmithsbusinessadjacentto No.33(nowgone)togetherwith workshopsbehind.Bythetimeofthe 1931TradeDirectory,hedescribedhistradeas"repairs, cycles,accessories,blacksmith",withthebusinessname "CentralGarage".Therewasapull-inandtwoShellpetrol pumpsfromthistimeanda1000gallonundergroundtank. TherewasabigsignonthegableendofNo.33saying "CentralGarage",thesignwasstillthereinaphotographof 1957andthebusinesscontinueduntilabout1958-60.Mr Kelloway died in 1962.1949 - West End GarageOnthesouthsideoftheroad,adjacenttoanex-WW165-foot longwoodenhut,apetrolstationwas setupbytheColesfamily.Petrol pumpswerebegunontheeast sideofthehutandthekioskwasalso asmallshopsellingcyclepartsand sweetsetc.Itwascalled"WestEndGarage",andthehut surviveduntildemolitionafter1988.Bythe1960sanothersite wasopenedovertheroad(inthetriangleoflandnowoccupied byTheChaneles)andcalled"WoodburyHillServiceStation", butthissitefinallyclosedinthelate1970sbeforethe Chaneleswerebuilt.Thesitehadremainedderelictforover twoyears.Inthe1960sanewShellFillingStationwasbuiltto theeastoftheWW1building.Thisconsistedofapull-insite andasmallshop,andcontinueduntilclosinginabout1980. AnaerialphotodatedFebruary1970showsthe65-foot woodenbuildingandadjacentpull-inspace,andthenext-door newerFillingStationinfulloperation.Aphotoof1984shows thenewerforecourtstillvisiblebeforethecurrentdwellings (No. 43/44) were put up in the late 1980s.1956 - Old Barn Service StationSituatedinthespacebetweenNo.36/37andNo.38West Streetonthesiteofthe"Old Barn"datingbacktoperhaps 1680originally.Mr&Mrs CharlesJarvissetupthe pull-infillingstationinlate1956, sellingEssopetrol,whilethe buildingalsoincludedan"EssoServicentre"forcarservicing andrepairs.Itwasextendedtotheeastbyanadditional buildingputupin1961.Therewerefourpumpsandthree750 gallonundergroundtanksplusa325gallonunderground dieseltank.Itfinallyclosedinthefirsthalfof1988andwas demolished in April 1989.1992 - Townsend Filling StationSituatedontheby-passatthejunctionoftheA35andA31,a photographdatedJanuary1991showsthesiteempty,butthe industrialunitsbuilt.Originallythiseight-pumpfillingstation wasownedbyMargramandleasedtoBP,butbyabout1995 wasownedbyShell,asitstillisin2011.Allthevillagefilling stationshadclosedbythetimetheTownsendsitewentinto operation.Itisnowoneofthebusiestfillingstationsinthearea duetocompetitivepricingofpetrolanddiesel.Thesitealso has an extensively stocked shop and a car-wash unit.