In   1896   the   government   passed   the   Locomotive   Act   enabling private   people   to   operate   their   own   petrol-driven automobiles.    At    the    beginning,    petroleum spirit    was    only    available    from    chemists    or specialised   stores.   In   time   however,   Petrol   Stations   started   to open.   Below   is   a   list   and   description   of   all   the   Petrol   Stations, that ever existed in the village - only one is now remaining.   1896 - Bemister's Stores, 91 West Street A   photograph   of   about   1896   shows   a   sign   on   the   building   of Bemisters   Stores   reading   "Pratt's   Spirit".   This   was   the   earliest form   of   petrol   available,   and   would   have   been   stocked   for   use by    the    local    gentry.    It    is    possible    that    some    local    farm machinery   was   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 Street Mr    Arthur    Janes    took over    his    father's    shop    and responding   to   demand   from "passing   trade"   set   up   a   petrol-pump   at   the   front   of   the   shop, on   the   Poole   road   side.   A   photograph   of   the   late   1920s/early 1930s   shows   Mr   Janes   outside   the   shop   together   with   an   early pump   and   "Mobiloil"   signs.   It   is   known   that   T.E.   Lawrence   (aka T.E.    Shaw;    aka    Lawrence    of    Arabia)    stopped    here    on    his motor-cycle   to   purchase   petrol,   and   chat   with   the   locals   on   "the cross" by 1933. Another   set   of   pumps   were   set   up   in   a pull-in     space     on     North     Street shortly    after    this.    You    can    see them in the Photograph here. 1929 - Central Garage, 33 West Street Opposite    the    Drax   Arms,    Mr    Charles Kelloway      had      his      engineers      and blacksmiths    business    adjacent    to No.33    (now    gone)    together    with workshops   behind.   By   the   time   of   the 1931    Trade    Directory,    he    described    his    trade    as    "repairs, cycles,    accessories,    blacksmith",    with    the    business    name "Central   Garage".   There   was   a   pull-in   and   two   Shell   petrol pumps   from   this   time   and   a   1000   gallon   underground   tank. There    was    a    big    sign    on    the    gable    end    of    No.33    saying "Central   Garage",   the   sign   was   still   there   in   a   photograph   of 1957    and    the    business    continued    until    about    1958-60.    Mr Kelloway died in 1962. 1949 - West End Garage On   the   south   side   of   the   road,   adjacent   to   an   ex-WW1   65-foot long   wooden   hut,   a   petrol   station   was set   up   by   the   Coles   family.   Petrol pumps   were   begun   on   the   east side   of   the   hut   and   the   kiosk   was   also a   small   shop   selling   cycle   parts   and sweets   etc.   It   was   called   "West   End   Garage",   and   the   hut survived   until   demolition   after   1988.   By   the   1960s   another   site was   opened   over   the   road   (in   the   triangle   of   land   now   occupied by   The   Chaneles)   and   called   "Woodbury   Hill   Service   Station", but    this    site    finally    closed    in    the    late    1970s    before    the Chaneles   were   built.   The   site   had   remained   derelict   for   over two   years.   In   the   1960s   a   new   Shell   Filling   Station   was   built   to the   east   of   the   WW1   building.   This   consisted   of   a   pull-in   site and   a   small   shop,   and   continued   until   closing   in   about   1980. An    aerial    photo    dated    February    1970    shows    the    65-foot wooden   building   and   adjacent   pull-in   space,   and   the   next-door newer   Filling   Station   in   full   operation.   A   photo   of   1984   shows the   newer   forecourt   still   visible   before   the   current   dwellings (No. 43/44) were put up in the late 1980s. 1956 - Old Barn Service Station Situated    in    the    space    between    No.36/37    and    No.38    West Street    on    the    site    of    the    "Old Barn"    dating    back    to    perhaps 1680    originally.    Mr    &    Mrs Charles    Jarvis    set    up    the pull-in   filling   station   in   late   1956, selling    Esso    petrol,    while    the building   also   included   an   "Esso   Servicentre"   for   car   servicing and    repairs.    It    was    extended    to    the    east    by    an    additional building   put   up   in   1961.   There   were   four   pumps   and   three   750 gallon    underground    tanks    plus    a    325    gallon    underground diesel   tank.   It   finally   closed   in   the   first   half   of   1988   and   was demolished in April 1989. 1992 - Townsend Filling Station Situated   on   the   by-pass   at   the   junction   of   the   A35   and   A31,   a photograph   dated   January   1991   shows   the   site   empty,   but   the industrial   units   built.   Originally   this   eight-pump   filling   station was   owned   by   Margram   and   leased   to   BP,   but   by   about   1995 was   owned   by   Shell,   as   it   still   is   in   2011.   All   the   village   filling stations   had   closed   by   the   time   the   Townsend   site   went   into operation.   It   is   now   one   of   the   busiest   filling   stations   in   the   area due   to   competitive   pricing   of   petrol   and   diesel.   The   site   also has an extensively stocked shop and a car-wash unit.