‘Wilts Ag’

People who were in Market Lavington in the 1970s and 80s will certainly remember ‘Wilts Ag’ or, to give it more like its full name, Wiltshire Agricultural Engineering. The company had a substantial business set right in the heart of the village as seen in this aerial view.

‘Wilts Ag’, Market Lavington from the air – about 1980

The bungalow we see at the bottom right of the picture faces onto The Market Place which is off shot to the right. Northbrook makes its way downhill, from right to left past the gable end of that bungalow. On the left hand side, the white house is on the sloping footpath that runs alongside Northbrook and the red brick cottages are those on The Terrace.

At the top left we have the former vicarage with its near circular approach drive. This, of course, is now the nursing home. The old Parish Room can just be made out at the top right of the photo. This fronts onto High Street, and was more or less opposite the Workmens’ Hall.

Most of the area in between is occupied by the premises of ‘Wilts Ag’ although we can also see the well-tended gardens of houses on High Street.

The largely red colour of the equipment in the various yards around the main buildings is explained by the fact that the company were dealers for the Massey Company, whose trademark colour was red.

By 1990 all of the buildings had gone and the Rochelle Court area was being developed.

Tags: 1980s, Agriculture, engineering, farming, Market Lavington, Museum