Page 38 - link magazine

38 The Link Magazine • April 2002
Local nursery celebrates three decades amidst landscape changes
Last month Alan Bushell met Doug and Caryl Clifford at Haydon End Farm, who continue to farm in the middle of Swindon's northern
development. Here he talks to Alan and Valerie Trotman from Grange Farm Garden Centre who are celebrating 30 years in the business.
Easter is going to be busy at gardening accesso- They have con- In those days, all the local farms
Grange Farm Garden Centre and ries makes a visit tinued to evolve, concentrated on producing milk;
Nursery and with many years ex- well rewarded. selling an ever there were nine dairy herds in the
perience in horticulture, Alan and Although the wider range of area. Unlike Haydon Farm and
Valerie Trotman, right, are Trotmans estab- items to comple- several others which sent milk to
pleased to share their wealth of lished one of the ment the plants. London by train, the Trotmans sold
knowledge with their customers. first garden centres Valerie recog- most of theirs to a dairy in Edin-
Unlike most garden centres, in Swindon, their nises that over burgh Street, Gorse Hill. They
Grange Farm grows many of the experience goes more recent years switched to beef in 1955 and the
plants on site, which means that back much further. people have more family continued to farm until
the stock is fresh and particularly Prior to opening to leisure time to re- 1972. Alan, meanwhile had set up
suited to the local environment. the public they had lax and enjoy their his commercial nursery.
As Valerie says, "we grow it, so we operated as a com- gardens and His mother came from Green-
know it." mercial nursery Grange Farm has meadow Farm which was sold for
There are extensive changes go- supplying plants kept abreast of development in 1955. The farm-
ing on around them, with the North to local shops. these develop- house was situated where Deben
Swindon District Centre develop- "A new concept was born in the ments. "Pots and containers of all Crescent joins Thames Avenue,
ing rapidly on one side and hous- early 1970s," Valerie explained. shapes and colours, ornamental which Alan reckons runs through
ing emerging on others. Grange "Garden centres opened to supply chippings and decking are an al- where the kitchen used to be.
Farm however, remains an oasis of plants in pots, so customers could ternative to traditional flowerbeds. The family's association with
calm, tucked away down Haydon appreciate the different textures, These and hanging baskets give Haydon Wick will remain for a
End Lane leading off Westfield shapes and colours of foliage and the garden instant colour and in- good many years to come: the Red
Way, opposite the Manor Farm flowers and create instant gar- terest all year round." House which was located on
Pub. The huge array of plants and dens." Alan has always been involved Grange Farm until it was demol-
with the land: his family has ished early last century, has given
farmed off Haydon End Lane since its name to one of the new villages
Sukura Garden Designs 1916. Like Doug Clifford of within the Priory Vale develop-
1 Haydon Farm, he has seen many ment.
Garden Design, Creation and Maintenance changes in the local landscape. He Like the Cliffords, Alan and
remembers the 1930s when Valerie have deep roots in the local
Arbour Seats and Obelisks Made to Order
Haydon Wick comprised of High area and have no immediate inten-
A good garden grows out of a design Street and The Brow - with only tion to be uprooted despite the
two cars using them, and there urban development all around
Tel: 01793 640620 was just one telephone. them.

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