Swindon Archive News
Local family business crushed by Swindon's expansion
As development in North Swindon continues inexorably, residents have now lost from their midst a valuable local service and an oasis of calm: Alan and Valerie Trotman have decided to succumb to the inevitable and close down Grange Farm Garden Centre and Nursery.
With competition from the adjacent North Swindon District Centre and the road layout designed to lead shoppers there, the garden centre in Haydon End Lane has found itself by-passed and the volume of its business has diminished considerably in recent years. Perhaps the final straw has been the closure of Lady Lane.
The Trotmans pride themselves on the service and wealth of local knowledge they have been able to offer gardeners from Haydon Wick and the surrounding area. They are very upset by the decision they have had to take.
"We feel that a lifetime's work is coming to an end," said Valerie. "We have put in so much effort over the past 30 years building up the business and now we are going to lose it all. We have simply been swallowed up by urban development."
What is more, as they move away from Swindon, an even longer association with the area comes to an end. Alan's family has farmed at Haydon End Lane since 1916. He was born in the house he has had to sell and his mother came from Greenmeadow Farm, the farmhouse which was demolished to make way for Thames Avenue.
As to the future, Alan said, "after spending our working lives advising and helping customers to create their ideal gardens, we now hope to use that knowledge to design and develop our new plot into a unique garden which maybe, in the future, we will open up so that the public can share it with us."
Alan and Valerie are grateful for the support they have received over the years from their regular customers. "It has made it all worthwhile," Valerie said. "We regard many customers as friends and this makes our decision to close so much more disappointing."
Closing down sale
Grange Farm Nursery will open for a final weekend on Friday 26 September to Sunday 28 September
As development in North Swindon continues inexorably, residents have now lost from their midst a valuable local service and an oasis of calm: Alan and Valerie Trotman have decided to succumb to the inevitable and close down Grange Farm Garden Centre and Nursery.
With competition from the adjacent North Swindon District Centre and the road layout designed to lead shoppers there, the garden centre in Haydon End Lane has found itself by-passed and the volume of its business has diminished considerably in recent years. Perhaps the final straw has been the closure of Lady Lane.
The Trotmans pride themselves on the service and wealth of local knowledge they have been able to offer gardeners from Haydon Wick and the surrounding area. They are very upset by the decision they have had to take.
"We feel that a lifetime's work is coming to an end," said Valerie. "We have put in so much effort over the past 30 years building up the business and now we are going to lose it all. We have simply been swallowed up by urban development."
What is more, as they move away from Swindon, an even longer association with the area comes to an end. Alan's family has farmed at Haydon End Lane since 1916. He was born in the house he has had to sell and his mother came from Greenmeadow Farm, the farmhouse which was demolished to make way for Thames Avenue.
As to the future, Alan said, "after spending our working lives advising and helping customers to create their ideal gardens, we now hope to use that knowledge to design and develop our new plot into a unique garden which maybe, in the future, we will open up so that the public can share it with us."
Alan and Valerie are grateful for the support they have received over the years from their regular customers. "It has made it all worthwhile," Valerie said. "We regard many customers as friends and this makes our decision to close so much more disappointing."
Closing down sale
Grange Farm Nursery will open for a final weekend on Friday 26 September to Sunday 28 September
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