Built in the late 1800s as part of the Tottenham House Estate, Cadley Garage has become a familiar sight for those driving along the A346.

In its long history the building has changed beyond recognition. When it was first built, it serviced the underground water pump that supplied the house, it was the place where all the estate’s farm machinery was repaired and maintained and a home for the horse and carriage while the estate owners went to Cadley Church.

It first became a commercial business in the 1920s when it was called The Cadley Engineering Company and run by Sam Burridge.

Under his management, the business continued to look after estate machinery and also, in 1948, started to work on Forestry Commission vehicles and machinery, as it does today.

In 1950 the owners of Tottenham House sold up and the garage became the property of the Crown Estate.

It was taken over by the Kimber family seven years later. They became RAC agents and recovered cars involved in accidents.

Despite the success of the business, the garage was empty for 14 years, between 1980 and 1994, until Dave Hewitt recommissioned it. Mr Horsley bought the business ten years later, in 2004.

It now specialises in sales of Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles and is an approved Castrol oil stockist.

At the start of this decade, Mr Horsley launched the Cadley garage’s Carbon Offset Alliance Campaign. A tree is planted in Marlborough for every scheduled service carried out.

At the same time, work started to transform the garage, creating a new three-bay workshop and, two years later, a car sales area where the allotments used to be.

Cadley Garage hosted the first meeting of the Wiltshire Agricultural Preservation Group in 1974 and last October Mr Horsley offered the venue for the group’s 40th anniversary celebrations.

Visitors enjoyed displays of vintage tractors, steam engines and vintage and classic cars dating from the 1900s to the early 1970s.

Mr Horsley said: “It was suggested that all modern cars were removed from the site, so it was a slight logistical nightmare because there are usually between 50 and 70 cars there.

“The forecourt had, as pride of place, a recently restored 1920s Avery Hardoll petrol pump in Regent fuel colours because Cadley Garage originally supplied Regent fuel.”