Baxters - Holt Road
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Baxters were founded in 1890 by Mr. Henry Baxter on a site in Holt Road Fakenham. In those days, in addition to being licensee of the Anchor public house, Henry was a timber merchant who also sold hired and serviced threshing-tackle, steam engines and wagons for haulage work.
After being apprenticed to the engineering trade in London, Henry’s son George took over his father's business. By this time the motor car had become more firmly established so they began servicing and selling those too. One of the first cars sold was a Model T Ford. Then, in 1924, when William Morris began to expand production of his Morris Cowley and Oxford, he invited Baxters to become area agents. In 1910 George Baxter opened the first cinema in Fakenham - the Picture drome, later re-named the Electric Pavilion, This building was also used for concerts, dances, roller-skating and drill training by the territorial army. Today is is occupied by R. J. Francis, Motorcycles and Cycles Direct.
Baxters traded in Holt Road until 1979 when they relocated to Hempton Road. Occupancy of the Holt Road site was taken over by the Pretty Group. The site today is occupied by Ernest Doe. On 30th December 1983, after almost 100 years of trading, G. Baxter & Son ceased trading and the business wound up. The residential complex, Baxters Close, which stands on the corner of Holt Road and Thorpland Road is named after the Baxter family, who built Greenways filling station on this site in 1935. |
Pictures courtesy of: John Warner, John Miller, Russell Frary, Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association and the Fakenham Heritage Group.
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© 2011 Fakenham & District Community Archive.
Created in-house by Fakenham & District Community Archive
Created in-house by Fakenham & District Community Archive