Medics, Mechanics and Money


Mickleton - A Miscellany: by Chris Knight


Chapter 5.  Medics, Mechanics and Money


Mickleton is well served with local facilities unlike many other rural villages. At the time of writing it has a thriving primary school, two public houses, a renowned hotel, and three shops - a convenience store, Post Office come newsagent/general store, butcher - and two religious institutions - Church of England and Methodist. In many respects the residents day to day needs are well catered for. The only facilities that the village may lack are a doctor’s surgery, garage and bank, although this was not always the case.


There have been a number of locations for a doctor's surgery over the years used by resident village doctors. The White House opposite the Butchers Arms pub was at one time known as the Doctor’s House. There had also been a surgery in a small office alongside the Village Hall for a time. The last doctor's surgery in the village was part of a joint practice with a surgery in Quinton. This was on the corner of the junction of Back Lane with Broad Marston Road opposite Cotswold Edge. It has now closed and is a private house. The patients were transferred to a practice in Quinton which has been much enlarged, and is now the Meon Medical Centre in Lower Quinton. Before becoming the surgery it had been a residential house as part of a market garden which stretched down the side of Broad Marston Road, growing tomatoes in greenhouses and other horticultural crops.


It is perhaps surprising that there were once three motor garages in the village. All of which have now closed to be replaced by small housing developments - a sign of the times perhaps. One garage, originally called Roseamund's Garage, was on the High Street at what is now the entrance to Alveston Grange opposite the Kings Arms. It was a traditional local garage with petrol pumps at the side of the road - no forecourt and self service pumps that we are used to now - with a workshop at the rear. Another garage and petrol filling station - Struthers Garage - was at what is now Inverlea Court off Back Lane. This also had a Ford dealership, selling new and used cars. The third, and most recent garage to close in 2016, was Granbrook Garage on Granbrook Lane at the edge of the village. In addition to fuel and a workshop it also offered an HGV (heavy goods vehicle) recovery service. This has also now been demolished and replaced by a small housing development.


There was at one time a bank on the High Street opposite Church Lane; a small branch of Lloyds with limited opening times. It was robbed at one point and the local view was that the thieves were either well prepared or fortunate to find it open. It is now a residential property. However, modern technology has enabled essential banking facilities to be available in other retail outlets in the village.