How a rubber factory rescued a Wiltshire town from decline

The first-ever Iron Duke Festival recently celebrated the industrial heritage of Bradford on Avon, once known as the original ‘Rubber Town’.

The festival marked 10 years since the return of the iconic Rubber Calendar Machine, a lasting symbol of the town’s industrial past.

A community picnic was held in the grounds of The Hall Estate, the historic Jacobean home of Stephen Moulton, founder of the Moulton Rubber Factory.

Coordinator Jim Lynch at the Iron Duke in Kingstone Road. (Image: TrevorPorter)

Jim Lynch, coordinator of the weekend celebrations, said: “This event marks the first-ever Iron Duke Festival, celebrating 10 years since the return of the iconic Rubber Calendar Machine to Bradford on Avon.

“We’re proud to be part of the celebrations honouring the town’s remarkable industrial heritage and its history as the original ‘Rubber Town’.

“To celebrate, we hosted a community picnic in the beautiful grounds of The Hall Estate, the Jacobean residence of the Moulton family, founders of the Moulton Rubber factory in 1848”.

Visitors take a close look at The Iron Duke - a massive calendar machine with three large metal rollers. (Image: TrevorPorter)

Entertainment came from the Wiltshire Wailers, Akabella & Sassparella, Bath City Jubilee Waits, storyteller Ali Penny, Holt Morris Dancers and Bell’s Angels.

Hats off to the Iron Duke Holt Morris men in the grounds of the hall as part of the celebrations. (Image: TrevorPorter)

Local brewers Kettlesmith also launched Iron Duke beer as part of the celebrations.

The Iron Duke, a mid-19th century calendaring machine, returned from storage in Bristol in 2016 and is now located on Kingston Road.

The machine reflects the town’s long industrial history, which was dominated by wool for hundreds of years.

Akabella singers inn the grounds of the hall as part of the Iron Duke celebrations. (Image: TrevorPorter)

Unlike Trowbridge, Melksham and Warminster, Bradford on Avon was never a market town, which may explain why the town is relatively lightly retailed compared to towns of a similar size.

It was wool that shaped the town’s architecture and character, with water power playing a key role in its prosperity.

However, mechanisation in the north and perhaps too much of a focus on the wrong kind of cloth contributed to economic decline in the 1820s and 1830s.

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Recovery came in 1848 when Stephen Moulton established England’s first rubber mill, using deserted woollen mills beside the river.

The new industry produced waterproof clothing for British troops during the Crimean War, followed by rubber hoses and suspension springs for the growing railway industry.

Early customers included industrialist Isambard Kingdom Brunel, while automobile and aircraft products were later added to the range.

The rubber works became part of the larger Avon Rubber Company in 1956.