Old Millers Yard

A Memory of Wantage.

Millers Yard was in Grove Street opposite the Old Oxford Bus Company.

Millers yard was founded by Mr Edward R Miller given its name of E.R. Miller until the late 40s / Early Fifty’s when sold to Mr Ivor P James, later taking on Partner Mr Len L Strong.
The name of the company was then founded as E. R. Miller (Wantage) Ltd, Haulage
Proprietors IP James & LL Strong.

Mr Edward Miller in early stages ran it as haulage and scrap, using mainly horse and trailers with one or lorry’s, he was best known as Teddy Miller.

When James & Strong took over the yard and business was developed further, at one time up to one hundred vehicles hauling coal, stone, tarmac, machinery and much more including groundworks, roundworks, plant hires and quarry’s.

As the business grew from the small market town of Wantage, widening roads in and around the Wantage area providing stone and tarmac, etc. to complete all works supplies machines for excavation, lorry’s for muck away, lorry’s to haul in aggregates, etc. such as roads from Wantage to Didcot, Wantage to Wantage Road Station, others in and around, supplied Snow Ploughs in 1963 to enable gritting and clearing of roads helping to get food to stranded villages. Mr James and Strong found themselves snowed in on Lambourn hills having to struggle there way though to warmth somewhere. Mr Strong told me once how Ivor saved his life carrying him though wen simply wanted to give up.

Later further Company’s grew from old millers Yard.

Marcham Quarry, near Abingdon, Charlbury Quarry, near Oxford these were known as S&J Quarry’s also Wantage plant hire, Wantage Construction Ltd and Millers Haulage. All Started from the Small Market Town of Wantage, employing vast amounts of workforce from the Wantage area. Address Known as E R Miller (wantage) Ltd, Grove Street, Wantage, Berkshire, now known as Hunters Close, Wantage.

Many good years were had by many from the small Yard Of Grove Street, Wantage, which grew into an expanding Company.

Great nicknames involved include:

Ivor James “lick em an stick em” (given your cards)
Len Strong “gentle after Lenny the lion”
Give a fag frank
Donk after Donkey for his awkward ness
Andy “grease um up”
Dave the engine “fire em up an make em go”

List goes on, the story goes on.

All thanks to the small market town of Wantage.

Photos are available.

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