Automowers

[will-haggle]

The Automwer Company, Norton St. Philip, Somerset. In 1962 my Father suggested I get a job in the Mendip Mower Company, Wells Hill, Radstock. I started in November and the whole place, an old Chapel was full of mowers, from side-wheel push mowers to 36″ Dennis’s, gang mowers and even 3 Trusty Steeds! In the gallery where I had to go for fire wood (pitch pine pews did burn well in the bosses fire!) there were a few old mowers up there, very plain looking, with JAP side valve engines of around 250cc, They were Automowers from Norton St. Philip. The Auto mower Company made rollers, many of which are still in use today! They made winches and modified tractors for timber extraction. Eventually they were absorbed by T.H.White and moved to Devizes in Wiltshire.

[hdtrust]

Nothing like putting a picture to words, this is an original poster from 1925 from Automower’s which proudly sits in my office, there are only 2 known examples of this poster, of which we also own the second but in a much worse state, it was used in their drawing office on the reverse for drawing out more ideas!

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[trusty220]

You are partly correct- T.H.White’s main headquarters is in Devizes but the Automower works they took over was in Vallis Road, Frome and T.H.White traded from the premises for a long time after acquiring Automower. It is now closed and the depot has moved out of town to a new site at Marston.

[will-haggle]

I used to visit Devizes T.H.White when I was delivering for Interlink, they were converting trucks with Palfinger cranes.

[trusty220]

The lorry crane division is their most lucrative side and is always very busy. T.H.White have the sole franchise in Britain to sell Palfinger cranes and they have a factory site in Bradford as well as Devizes to mount the cranes onto lorry chassis. Recently they also started building the lorry bodies as well instead of sending them off to have them done.

I hope that makes it a bit clearer, but it’s nothing to do with the old Automower business. T.H.White Lorry Cranes is run as a separate business to their Agricultural Division.

[will-haggle]

Outstanding in more field than you think!

[wristpin]

They made winches and modified tractors for timber extraction. Eventually they were absorbed by T.H.White and moved to Devizes in Wiltshire.

I believe that their winch tractors were also used for handling barrage balloons during the war and also to assist with stringing cables between pylons for the National Electricity Grid.

I guess that the name Automower is no longer protected as Husqvarna are using it for their robot mowers.

[charlie]

Yes Automower winches were used for power line construction.

[hdtrust]

If you like reading Wristpin and Charlie, then you might just have a good read about the history of Automower timber tractors in Old Glory the August issue, showing all their winches.
Charlie you have more than once sat on that crate full of Automower printing plates, while sifting through goodies in Mr Walling field’s caves!

[Author]

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