Road Hauliers - The 20th century Haulage Industry in Clutton
With local coal pits and every house having one or more coal fires as the only form of heating, between the wars and for some years after WW2, it had become necessary for the coal to be hauled away to its destination from both pit-head and railway stations. This started many small haulage firms to spring up in local villages.
The railways’ big failing was inflexibility to and from locations other than between large towns and stations, and so many small haulage businesses sprang up, delivering goods such as cattle feed, coal, hay and straw locally. Clutton was no exception.
Lewis Pritchard came to Clutton from Charterhouse on Mendip, after driving a Foden steam wagon hauling coal for Lovells at Bishop Sutton. He was based in Jacob’s Bottom on the Lower Bristol Road with his steam lorry purchased from Lovell, which he housed in a shed (recently-converted to a house) opposite Maypole Close, and next to Burchills House which was occupied by his parents and sister. Later, after having few Sentinel steam lorries, by which time he had also married Ruth, daughter of Mr Pullen, the school headmaster, he had a number of diesel vehicles, mainly Albions. As with so many similar businesses, his lorries were taken over by British Road Services in the short-lived programme of nationalisation of road transport in the late 1940s.
Lewis Pritchard’s first Sentinel steam lorry which was housed opposite what is now Maypole Close.
A 1930s Albion 6-wheeler, with a very tidy load of sacks ready to be sheeted for the journey.
Arthur Maggs, a well-known and popular figure in Clutton, had a haulage business which he based in the old Brewery yard, now the Council Highways depot at the end of Stowey road. He employed a large number of Clutton men, with coal hauling and especially with a contract for Clutton RDC on road maintenance, hauling road-stone and general haulage. He also delivered coal and had a contract with CRDC for local collection of refuse.
Another victim of nationalisation, the BRS took over his business and retained the refuse contract. Arthur’s Bedfords, mostly ex WD, were in poor condition, Arthur, being well-liked locally for his support of the football club, along with Jimmy Mansfield, the Clutton rector, although rather outspoken, had a problem starting one of the old Bedfords one morning and attempted a restart in Cholwell under the Rectory wall. Hearing the commotion, Mansfield appeared in his pyjamas and asked Arthur to “moderate his language“ as it had woken him up. Arthur retorted “Why don’t you mind your own bloody business Jimmy and get back to bed!” He did..!
In 1949, Arth. Maggs ran 26 vehicles. A coal-merchant's business was also carried on in conjunction with the haulage undertaking.
Maggs’ Drivers.jpg Arthur Maggs’ drivers and staff pose on the old Brewery tennis court for a group photograph.
The roof of 29 Bristol Rd can be seen over the A37 behind. Mrs Maggs and Arthur are in the centre.
Jim Brain, my father, having left Bromley Pit in early 1920s, vowing never to return, started as a haulier with a 30cwt Chevrolet, then a Bedford, and briefly a Commer, from his parents’ home in 42 Maynard Terrace hauling coal among other goods locally. Later, and with the GWR refusing to handle milk, he bought a 1936 Leyland Cub and collected milk in churns from farms around the area, mainly the Mendips to deliver to various dairies in Bristol. Later again having moved to Featherbed Lane and married, after WW2 he acquired another Cub, driven by Harry Collins who was recently de-mobbed, and gradually built up to three Albion Chieftains in the 1950s. In the early1960s, with a contract for a Bridgwater animal feed firm, he had one of the first in the area’s bulk-transport lorries, a six-wheeled Albion Reiver until he retired and sold the licences and the vehicles to a former driver Norman Meek of 1 Sunnyside, Clutton Hill. Later Norman passed the business to his son Brian.
Reiver 1961.jpg The Albion Reiver bulk grain lorry which Jim Brain later passed with the operator’s licence to Norman Meek.
Albions 1958.jpg Jim Brain’s three Albion Chieftains, used on farm deliveries and haulage from both London and Avonmouth docks.
Arthur (A.H.) Gore, known as “Curly”, developed a large haulage business in the old Greyfield colliery yard, still geographically in Clutton ( though being on the RDC he campaigned to have the boundary moved to put him in High Littleton which would, from his point of view have been more sensible). He had a large mixed fleet of many different makes, eventually ERFs, and had a house built on the wharf batch at Greyfield. The firm moved with a Bristol base eventually; the site at Greyfield is now a housing estate, “Gore’s Yard”.
An Albion Reiver of the 1960s; at that time Gore’s fleet were mainly of this type.
An ERF eight-wheeler having some repairs in Gore’s Yard at Greyfield.
Another Maggs, George, also had a haulage business, I believe hauling stone from the quarry at Cloud Hill. Later, it was taken over by his son in law Ted Free whose father had owned the quarries. It still traded as George Maggs. Later, Richard Free his grandson, ran the business as a coal-round from the Warwick yard on the A37, currently occupied by the Van Sales.
Minall Brothers also had a coal-hauling business in the 1940s and 50s, operating from the top end of Broomhill Lane. After de-nationalisation they bought up some ex-BRS lorries, eventually transferring to the yard by the Warwick, later occupied by Richard Free who continued with the coal business.
Rogers Bros. Bert and Clifford, helped by their respective sons, Tony and Geoff ( also known as Mark) also collected milk from farms, mostly for Mendips Dairies formerly in Chew Stoke. They also ran a grocery shop in what was previously the first Clutton PO, They had a small Fordson lorry and a Reo “Speed Wagon”, both kept in the arched garage which is still in existence at the top of Cook’s Hill.
We must not forget Bromilow Haulage which operated just below the station, where the old YMCA hut was, later the Bromilow bungalow, and the plot which “The Sidings” housing estate now occupies. Mr Bromilow, a Yorkshireman, aided later by his son Geoff, ran a successful business based originally working mainly on railway-line salvage and sleepers. They also operated a coal wharf there, ideally situated alongside Clutton station goods yard. Later, the vehicles did a lot of Continental work so mainly were Left Hand Drive and they had a depot in Holland at which time it became Bromilow International.
At one time, before WW2, Mr Sage operated steam lorries out of sheds in Broomhill Lane where Fernleaze is now. Also Bob Bennett had previously housed his one vehicle in Batch Farm.