Painted Wagons

[David A Thorne]

Hello there. I recently started as a volunteer guide in a Victorian farm. We have a display of wagons in our yard as well as some equipment. A visitor pointed out that one of the wagons was painted with a herefordshire company's name (which escapes me) and today another visitor pointed out that the same wagon came from herefordshire, but based on its blue paint. He said that he'd heard that paint colours were used as a way to tell where a wagon had come from, but he had only known herefordshires colour because that was where he had heard it. I was wondering if anyone else had heard this. I've looked online, but I couldn't find anything beyond Clint Eastwood references.

[webweaver]

Hi David
I don't know which Victorian Farm you are volunteering at, but I wonder whether they are a member of the Rural Museums Network. If so, it might be worth them posting your question on the RMN's Discussion Group. Ask them about this and if you don't get a positive response, I can post your question for you. I just don't want to tread on anyone's toes!

Catherine

[Alan Wadsworth]

Hi David,

Well .. MERL have a Somerset waggon with the body painted blue - see https://merl.reading.ac.uk/explore/onli ... _bow_wagon

They might be able to help you.

Weald and Downland also have a small collection of wagons.

Hope this helps, Alan

[spottydog]

John Vince's 'Discovering Carts and Wagons' (Shire Publications Ltd, 1978) includes brief mention of the colours used in some counties.

[Agromaven]

Hi David

The Cotswold Discovery Centre at the Old Prison in Northleach, Glos, houses the Lloyd-Baker collection of wagons. I'm not sure who's currently responsible for the collection, but it's recognised as a nationally important collection. Given that Herefordshire is a neighbouring county to Gloucestershire, you might find someone there who could confirm your 'blue hypothesis'...

https://www.theoldprison.co.uk/rural-life-collection

Adrian

[paulbahs]

And Acton Scott, Shropshire, for the county north of Herefs.

[oldandpeculiar]

very late, only just joined. try 'the english farm wagon' by J. Geraint Jenkins which does give some colour schemes. even better is 'Farm wagons and carts' by James Arnold. this gives very good descriptions, and it is of wagons that the author saw, including colour schemes on each. the best book I have found on the subject. hopefully you have found 'the wheelwrights shop' by George Sturt as well