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Central Garage was situated on Main Road, West Lulworth next to the Shirley Hotel.
The garage ‘shop’ was sited in the former Lulworth Model Bakery premises.
The whole site was cleared in 2007 along with the neighbouring Shirley Hotel site to make way for the Shirley Close development.
History
Archibald Hollins ‘Archie’ Randall (1907-1978) started a garage business with pumps and a small shop selling cycles and accessories next to his uncle’s hotel.
By 1927 the name Central Garage had been adopted.
In 1939 William Robert Elldred was proprietor of the garage and the Shirley Hotel. His elder son Peter John Elldred died 18 November 1943 when the bomber he was navigating crash landed in Norfolk on returning from an aborted sortie. By then, William had moved to Axminster, Devon.
In the 1950’s, Mr. Stovell ran the ‘National‘ petrol station & garage.
At the beginning of the 1960’s the proprietor was Duncan MacMillan.
Geoffrey William Meaden (1929-2005) ran the Central Garage business for many years. In later years his daughter and her first husband carried on the garage business.
At some point it switched from ‘National’ to ‘Shell’.
Over the following years a number of planning applications were approved:
- 1974 – rebuilding of kitchen at back of shop and installation of additional fuel storage tanks
- 1979 – addition of detached MOT testing bay at back of site behind shop
- 1982 – extension and alteration to form one-bedroom flat above workshop
- [between 1982 & 1985 land to the east of the site was purchased from the owners of Bay Tree Cottage]
- 1985 – erection of detached house on the new land – although granted it did not proceed – an application for a more substantial detached property on the new land was refused in 1987
- 1993 – change of use of shop to form living accommodation and addition of bay window at front – this became known as Handel Cottage
- 1994 – addition of conservatory on the new land adjoining the former kitchen extension
- 1999 – demolition of workshop, sprayshop and store, change of use of part of existing workshop to residential and extensions for residential use – this became known as Wellington Cottage
The garage was used by T.E. Lawrence when he lived at Clouds Hill and went all round this area on his motorbike. It truly broke my heart to see the buildings go in 2007 after spending over 35 years there. At the back I had four stables and used part of the hanger for hay, the rest was used to store Dad’s Volvo’s. There was a door in the side so I could use the Church plot for grazing without going on the road!
CN, 2001
I worked there in my school holidays and on weekends from 1961 to 1964 selling petrol and repairing punctures. Before that it was owned by the Stovells and dad worked in the workshop.
MS, 2024
If you have any photographs or other information about Central Garage, please contact us.
Page last updated: 21 September 2024
- displayed in Holy Trinity Church [↩]