2020 Events 

WAPG - Autumn Road Run - 06.09.20

Wiltshire Agricultural Preservation Group

The 200 or so member WAPG began in 1974 under the name of Wiltshire Branch of the National Vintage Tractor and Engine Club. 

The club is well known for holding the annual Wiltshire Steam and

Vintage Rally at the beautiful Rainscombe Park in Wiltshire.

Lockdown and COVID-19, has taken its toll on each and everyone of its members.  However, WAPG was pleased to  host an end of season Tractor Road Run on Sunday 6th of September 2020.

The 2020 Autumn Road Run

The Road Run was a 20 mile route in the local area that featured vintage tractors and was open to to members of WAPG and non-members.

The start/end point was at Down Barn Farm in Everleigh.  Trailer parking was made available at the road run courtesy of Mr Waight.

Gathering started from 08:30 and they set off at around 10:30.

The route was approximately 20 miles with the majority being completed before lunch, which was held near Milton Lilbourne. 

There were COVID-19 safety measures in place to protect those attending.  Participants were also asked to bring their own lunch.

Passing through Burbage   the route crossed over the A346 into Ram Alley and on towards Easton Royal, turning North just outside the village and heading into Wotton Rivers. 

A halt was taken near Milton Libourne.  The halfway point/lunch stop was generously gifted the use of by Caroline and Giles Wells of Totteridge Farm.

Following the stop the run for home was made by crossing the B3087 at Milton Lilbourne and heading south through the village and then up the steep Milton Hill passing the Giants Grave and back to the start venue.

As usual, this was a very well run event with a compact route which the club members and guests all enjoyed.

I understand this was Aaron Vallis' first time at organising this event, so very well done to him, I think he has it cracked!!

I understand Aaron's Nuffield tractor has now been pressed into service, following a two year restoration.

The Route

The actual mileage on the public highway was carefully kept to a minimum, with the majority of the route on byways and smaller country roads.

The circular route  kept the entries  close to the clubs Pewsey base and the entries were escorted front and rear by officials, to minimise any congestion. Marshalls were also posted on junctions where the route crossed the main roads.

From the start point the route headed East, towards Everleigh then branched off towards Collingbourne Kingston via a byway leading down Mill Drove, a short trip along the A338 then took the entry through the village and into Brunton and  it then travelled up the once famous speed hill climb route.

The route went through the farm yard at the top of the hill and onto the Fairmile where the route headed north, passing the well known pepper pot pump at the top of the hill at Wexcombe.

After passing the Wexcombe village junctions the route crossed the A338 and passed the Wilton Windmill.

The route passed below the Windmill Hill turning and on towards Gt Bedwyn Road, passing over the railway and the canal.

Along the road just around a double bend is Crofton Crossing, a private crossing which takes walkers to Wilton Windmill, with minature stop lights in operation.

This is where the convoy crossed over the canal and passed by the entrance of the Crofton Pumping Station.

Leaving the Pumping station on the left, the convoy passed over the railway and canal again and headed west towards Burbage.

Passing through Burbage the route crossed over the A346 into Ram Alley and on towards Easton Royal, turning North just outside the village and heading into Wotton Rivers.

Brunton Hill Climb - below some history from the 1957 Motorsport Magazine

Brunton is charmingly reminiscent of the speed hill-climbs of the ‘twenties and ‘thirties. The ½-mile course lies in that “uncharted” area of Wiltshire near the picturesque villages of Ludgershall, Collingbourne Ducis and Collingbourne Kingston. The start is from a farmyard, the “start” banner slung between two barns, one of which conveniently houses the time-keepers, on this occasion using a new, very special Swiss watch. The course takes a fast left-hand curve in a dip (where Patsy Burt alarmed us by getting her blue Cooper-Climax partially up the bank in practice) before climbing up to the long, tight, right-hand bend before the finish. Spectators get a fine view from an undulating meadow on the left, protected by banks and iron railings. Moreover, they can drive their cars up to the railings and, on May 12th, were given an excellent commentary by Ian Hammond, who, from the security of a TR Triumph, dispensed technical details of the competing cars — a conscientious commentator who really does take the trouble to ferret out interesting items. After each class the cars return down the hill, branching off to the right and using a country road to return to the rural setting of the Paddock. It is all very akin to the public-road speed events of pre-1925, except that the course, although tarmac-surfaced, is rather narrower than the public roads they diced over in those days.

Wexcombe's Water

There are two reservoirs along the Fair Mile road, near the hamlet of Wexcombe in Wiltshire. 

The first reservoir is fenced off and is accompanied by a round brick structure that used to serve as a pump house. It seems that this reservoir/pump house combination was built in 1899 to supply water to the hamlet of Wexcombe and the faded plaque that resides above the pump house door is believed to read "Wexcombe Waterworks the gift of William Corbin Finch 1899".

Wexcombe itself is barely a mark on the map (a handful of  houses and a farm), so when reading about Wexcombe it is surprising to find that the hamlet had a small, but significant, claim to fame.

In 1920 a man named Arthur Hosier moved to Wexcombe where he purchased an estate. It seems that Hosier wanted to turn his land over to dairy farming but he was initially deterred from doing this, as the parts of his land that where suitable for grazing cattle were a long way from his farm buildings. To overcome this problem and to save the cost of constructing new farm buildings, Hosier invented the portable milking bail which enabled him to take his milking equipment to the cows, as opposed to trying to bring the cows back to the farm for milking.

A portable milking bail is essentially a mobile stall/shed in which cows can be held for milking to prevent the cows from kicking or trampling the farmer (or generally moving about) while the cows are being milked. Hosier's invention was soon being manufactured and sold, enabling farmers across the country to milk their cows in locations remote from their farm infrastructure. The Hosier portable milking bail set off a revolution in dairy farming and was a staple bit of dairy farming equipment until recent years.

The portable milking bail was one of only a few bits of equipment that was developed by Hosier, which saw his farm in Wexcombe become a centre of UK farming innovation during Hosier's lifetime.

Wilton Windmill 

The windmill was built in 1821 after the new Kennet and Avon canal had been built. This canal was built over and through the site of some local watermills and the pumps providing the water for the canal also lowered the river levels so that the remaining watermills were no longer viable.

The mill was in operation for 100 years, however with the introduction of new steam roller mills and fast production of cheap bread, it became unwanted, was abandoned and then fell into disrepair.  The mill was finally restored to its former glory in 1976 by a team of dedicated volunteers.

Today it is managed and operated by the Wilton Windmill Society which uses the mill and provides guided tours, whilst the mill is still owned by Wiltshire Council.

The mill was built as a traditional tower mill with a fantail which turns the cap, to ensure that the sails always point into the wind.

The mill has four sails in total; two patent (these are the slatted sails which can be quickly activated) and two common canvas sails, which have to be set before the mill starts to turn.

Today, the mill is fully operational, and produces stone-ground, wholemeal flour.

Kennet Avon Canal 

The water supply to the western end of the Kennet & Avon Canal was the main engineering challenge facing engineer John Rennie.

The Crofton Beam Engines at Crofton Locks summit are a masterpiece, using two steam pumps to lift water 40 feet to the canal.  These engines built in 1812 and 1845, are among the world's oldest working steam beam engines.

Crofton Pumping Station is owned by the The Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, who run it day to day, including the gift shop, tea rooms and picnic area.

Wolf Hall

This was the legendary Tudor manor that came to epitomise the ruthless world of Henry VIII's adviser Thomas Cromwell and inspired Hilary Mantel's novel Wolf Hall.

While the timber-framed medieval house Henry's third wife Jane Seymour once called home has been lost to history, a family home still exists on the estate depicted in the BBC's historical drama - complete with underground passages, creaking floorboards and even a ghost.

Wolf Hall Manor,is named after the original house but the royal knights and regal splendour have gone - replaced by trampolines and wonky basketball hoops in the manor's overgrown garden.
 
Giants Grave

This monument includes a long barrow situated on the upper south western slopes of a prominent ridge called Milton Hill immediately overlooking a very steeply sloping dry valley. 

The long barrow survives as an elongated mound aligned north east to south west and measuring up to 101m long, 21m wide and 2.5m high at the north east end, 14m wide and 1.2m high at the south west end, with the northern flanking ditch visible as a 5m wide and up to 0.5m deep feature and the southern ditch being completely buried. In the centre of the northern side of the mound is a 28m long and 1.2m high outward protuberance and the top of the mound has several 1m deep excavation pits. It was partly excavated in 1865 when a primary deposit including up to four skeletons was discovered with a leaf shaped flint arrowhead close by.

CTP Gillingham Gathering - 23.02.20.

This is an early season static gathering of all sorts of vintage vehicles over 20 years old.

There is most years an optional road run from Warminster, for those who travel from that area. This is not actually organised by the CTP, but of course the entries have to get to Gillingham, so it makes sense to travel in organised groups.

The informal road run which this year started at Warminster services with cars arriving from 9.00 ready to leave for Gillingham if they wished.

The vehicles had already started to arrive in Warminster when I arrived. A lot of vehicles, in a lot of cases, are in better condition now than when they were new. The vehicles having been restored by the owners over many hours and even years.

These photographs were taken on Sunday morning at Warminster Services junction A36 and A350 and on the road in Mere and also at Gillingham.

Atkinson, 466 RKO

Not as old as she looks; Atkinson L1786XA, 466 RKO (with Gardner 6LX diesel) dates from October 1961, and was new to Marley Tiles from Kent and still carries their fleet No.10 on the cab.

She later passed to haulage contractor; P.G Furnell from Upton, Poole, before finding her way onto the fairs with Richard Townsend & Sons from Weymouth, fitted with two generating sets.

After they finished with her, the Atkinson passed to well-known preservationist  Norman Young.

This motor has now spent way more years in Dorset than she ever did in Kent.

1947. Austin K4 Brewery Dray. Reg No: FOW 486.

1964. Commer Superpoise Mk IV. ARU 350B

D.H. Weeks Haulage Bedford TJI 1258

The Westend Garage, Bruton had several vehicles at the event.  The 'military division’ has grown and is popular and much requested around the West.

They have managed (with some degree of success) to get a 1940 Morris Quad (complete with limber and 25 powder gun) refurbished and up and back on the road. 

Running speed was alright 70 years ago but not quite up to today’s standards.

When out with its big brother the AEC matador and 5.5” howitzer they make up an impressive sight.

The four vehicles were as follows:

641 XUX  1943 AEC Matador
1954 Austin Champ JGU 134K
1940 Morris Commercial Quad   WRK 995K
HOR 203E Limmer and Trinidad/  Foden 
Atkinson - ATV 121K – Ex fairground Tow vehicle

Off to the Annual Gillingham Vehicle Gathering - 23.02.20.

I travelled down from Warminster, with the local band of drivers and owners from the lorry park at the Travel Lodge, as I do every year.

There are plenty of good rural spots to get photographs of these entries on route but after they pass, you are then at the rear, so do not really have a chance to get more photographs.

I have often managed to get photographs in Mere, each time I pick out a place that maybe suitable for the next year.

I have often looked at this building with its red brick and chimney and wondered about its history, so today I investigated and used it for a back drop and shelter from the rain.

It was a mixed time for industry in the town.  Landers' Brewery in Salisbury Street was founded but later, possibly because of the Temperance movement, this became a bacon factory in 1884.

Later it was a milk factory, being owned by Cow and Gate and then Unigate, until it closed in 1970.

This is now the home of The Yapp Brothers Wine Merchants.

This made the ideal setting for passage of the veteran and vintage vehicles making their way to the Gillingham vehicle gathering.

Arthur Smith photographed with his Willys Jeep, is a local man from Heytesbury.  This is a genuine WW2 Willys Jeep.

KYK 746 - a 1950 6 wheel Mammoth Major Ex refuelling Vehicle P Gumm.

1930’s Bedford  KXS 416 - George Smith Horseboxes - This is how you would go racing 70 years ago.