EPW023218 ENGLAND (1928). Gillingham Railway Station and Cattle Market, Gillingham, 1928

The building still exists as of 2024 (now converted to flats), it was the South Western Hotel. The South Western’s prime site made it eminently accessible to train passengers, especially commercial travellers. They could hire carriages and traps from the hotel to take them to neighbouring towns and villages. The South Western also cashed in on its proximity to Gillingham’s cattle market yards. On market days it would be crowded with farmers and livestock dealers, who could rely on the hotel staff to look after their horses.

Milk loading dock and vans for milk train to London [or could be returning empties]. Gillingham, Semley and Tisbury all had rail sidings where milk churns containing skimmed milk could be transported to the London market. Gillingham had two creameries at least; one in Station Road. In the 1930s specialised milk tankers were introduced and United Dairies had an unloading platform at Vauxhall station, where milk was piped to its bottling and distribution factory at 5 South Lambeth Road. Train may have originated at Yeovil Town and collected milk vans along the way. Some came from the Somerset & Dorset Railway's stations, via Templecombe

Brickfields

Horse and wagon

Signalbox

Wind engine

New Road

Station Road

Brickyard Lane