IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Bath Road, MELKSHAM, SN12 8AX

Bath Road housing near Beanacre Road.

In early November 2014, work was in progress inside this building set above Bath Road. The dark blue shop front seen in a Google Earth Street View taken in July 2009 has gone.

Stone post (plate lost) by the UC road, in parish of Melksham (West Wiltshire District), Bath Road, now cul-de-sac opposite tyre factory, built into retaining wall, on South side of road. Melksham plate, erected by the Melksham turnpike trust in the 19th century. Inscription once read:- (Bath) (12) Milestone Society National ID: WI_LB_BADZ12

This square Baptist church was built in 1776 and restored in 1879. Listed, grade II, with details at: https://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1021744

This row of early 18th century attached cottages was a public house which is now closed. These are the only early 18th century cottages remaining, the rest have been demolished. Listed, grade II, with details at: https://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1021726

Part of a large site in Melksham, viewed across Bath Road. The spelling tires (for tyres) is a clue that this is a company based in North America. Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe is a division of a global company based in Findlay, Ohio in the USA. Avon Tyres, which makes tyres sold in the UK, is owned by the Cooper Tire & Rubber Company.

Now owned by the US Cooper Tire Company, this building was until 1997 part of the Avon Rubber Company until the company decided to pull out of motor car tyre manufacturing due to the relentless pressures from the Far East market, particularly China. Avon moved to new factories in nearby Semington in 2000. As of October 2010, the Wiltshire Times reported that Cooper Tires had a workforce of 600, a number far reduced from Avon's 2,500 during the war. In 1885 Messrs E G Browne and J C Margetson founded Avon Rubber, moving to the Matravers cloth mill in Melksham and making an increasing range of rubber products as the site expanded to 28 acres. This Art Deco building is not the main administrative building but could be the attractive canteen that was opened for the employees in 1940 and which could accommodate 600 people at one sitting. Some source material at http://www.avon-protection.com/Corporate/Other%20Information/history-corporate.htm

Bike shop at 67 Bath Road.

The garage at 65 Bath Road is near the corner of Old Broughton Road.