End of the road for a motoring dynasty (From Basingstoke Gazette)

End of the road for a motoring dynasty

11:42am Tuesday 10th May 2011 in Memories By Richard Garfield

A PIECE of Basingstoke’s motoring history was recently wiped from the landscape as it was torn down by bulldozers.

The Motorland Skoda showroom, on the Golden Lion Roundabout, was once part of Jacksons, which ceased trading in 2007.

Built in 1936, the Grove Road site, in Viables, was originally the home of the Basingstoke Motor Company.

But many older Basingstoke residents will also recall that Jacksons, which was a family-run vehicle sales and service business, also had quite an imposing building which stood in Lower Wote Street in the town centre.

Among them is local historian Robert Brown, who said: “Jacksons was established over 50 years ago in the old huts that were left after the British Restaurant closed down in Lower Wote Street.”

The restaurant opened in 1942 in several rows of Nissen huts, offering cheap meals.

Robert said that by March 1947, the restaurant closed and the Lower Wote Street site remained empty for several years. Then with the start of the motor car age, the site was acquired by businessmen with the intention of opening up a showroom, stores and offices in 1951.

“The Nissen huts were converted into different departments and, within a few years, Jacksons was open,” said Robert. “By 1961, it was decided to demolish the huts and have a brand-new building constructed on the site.

“Having also acquired the garage and filling station of the Basingstoke Motor Company, in Grove Road, along the Basingstoke bypass, some of the Wote Street departments were transferred there.

“The Nissen huts were demolished in January 1962, and within a few months the land was prepared to build a five-storey building, which was to consist of garages, offices and flats, while on the roof, a car park was laid out for some 24 vehicles.

“But before any building work could take place, it was decided to test the ground to see if the foundations would be suitable for such a heavy structure.

“So a 30-foot pile was driven into the ground – one of 100 intended to be inserted – then 100 tons of iron ingots were placed over the pile to make sure that it was safe to go ahead with the construction.

“The reason for this test was due to the River Loddon and Basingstoke Canal having been close by, which may have made the ground unsafe. The test proved satisfactory and, by May 1964, the building was open for business.”

Robert said during the early 1960s, other garages in Basingstoke took advantage of the increase in car sales, due to the various types of vehicles which were on the market.

These included Wheeler and Ayland, in Reading Road, W W Webber, in London Street, the White Garage, in Winchester Road, Tysoe and Lewin, in London Road, and Watson's Motors, in Wote Street.

But in the mid-1960s several of these were severely affected by the Town Development Scheme which involved the demolition of much of the town centre to make way for a brand new shopping area.

Jacksons had a lucky escape, but nearby buildings such as the Savoy Cinema and several public houses, were knocked down. Business carried on at the garage for 30 years, but with the building of Festival Place, it was demolished in February 1999.

The site along Churchill Way is now part of the shopping centre’s multi-storey car park.

Meanwhile, the site by the Golden Lion Roundabout has been flattened and is waiting for work to start on a 72-bed care home.