Thomas Aveling Heritage Walk

Celebrating local heritage is something I enjoy doing - as you’ll see from the hundreds of posts I’ve written on this site since May 2010.

A community walk has been created by the Thomas Aveling Society to celebrate the pioneering Victorian engineer Thomas Aveling, who lived in Hoo as a boy, teenager and young man.

Thomas is often referred to as the ‘Father of the Traction Engine’. He’s known around the world for his Aveling & Porter Company of Rochester (based in Strood) - manufacturing iconic steam road rollers and traction engines.

Born in Cambridgeshire in 1824, Thomas moved to Hoo as a young boy, following the death of his father. He remained in Hoo throughout his teenage years and into adulthood - when he worked for local farmer Edward Lake (whose niece he would marry).

Thomas became internationally successful, but he sadly died prematurely in 1882, aged 57. He was buried outside St. Werburgh Church in Hoo.

As well as this new formalised local walk, the Thomas Aveling Society operates ‘The Mobile Thomas Aveling Museum’ (for schools and community groups) and ‘Thomas Aveling’s Annual Birthday Celebration’ in September (a beautiful celebration of local heritage).

If you’d like to download (and print out) a copy of the heritage walk, visit the Thomas Aveling Society website by clicking here.

  

Good news for Aveling group

Following the group’s first public event last September (Thomas Aveling’s Birthday Celebration 2019), the Thomas Aveling Society rolls into 2020 with three positive developments to report.

Firstly, Hoo resident and talented artist Alan Page presented Michael Pearce with a fabulous painting showing an imagined scene featuring Thomas with one of his steam road rollers outside the Invicta Works in Strood.

Secondly, thanks to a donation of £200 from the Blakemore Foundation (owners of Hoo Spar), plus additional support by Village Voices Publishing, the ‘Mobile Thomas Aveling Museum’ will be launched later this month (January). The project is part of the group’s ‘Reaching Out Education Programme’ and will see an exhibition placed in schools and local groups for set periods.

Lastly, the Thomas Aveling Society recently lobbied Medway Council and housing developer Taylor Wimpey to assign Thomas Aveling themed names to roads on a new housing development along Stoke Road in Hoo (yet to start construction). Thomas worked for farmer Edward Lake (of Abbots Court) on the fields around Stoke Road (and Abbots Court) as a young man - possibly developing his early inventions and engineering ideas on the very fields now being developed. The Thomas Aveling Society has agreed for the following road names to be assigned: Thomas Aveling Road, Invicta Drive, Harvest Rise, Plough Close, Foundry Close, Blacksmith Lane and Edward Lake Drive.

The Thomas Aveling Society was formed in 2014 to promote and celebrate the life and legacy of pioneering engineer Thomas Aveling, who lived in Hoo as a boy and young man. He was buried in the churchyard at St. Werburgh Church following his death in 1882, aged 57.

  

Happy birthday Thomas Aveling

As co-founder of the Thomas Aveling Society (Hoo), I'd like to post the following birthday greeting.

You can stay in touch with the Thomas Aveling Society (Hoo) by visiting the group's website here (where you'll find social media links).

Rolling back the years to 1982

Formed in 2014, the Thomas Aveling Society (Hoo), also known as TASH, is hard at work developing a project to formally recognise the life, work and professional achievements of notable agricultural engineer Thomas Aveling (co-founder of the Aveling and Porter Company).

Thomas was born in Cambridgeshire in 1824, although he and his mother moved to Hoo during his childhood.  As well as his business interests, his relatively short life saw him become active in the community – serving as Mayor of Rochester, a trustee of the Watts’ Charity and governor at the Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School.  He died at Boley Hill House in Rochester in 1882 and is buried in the churchyard at St. Werburgh Church, Hoo.

TASH volunteers (I am one) hope to install an interpretation board in Hoo and erect name plaques at places associated with Thomas and his family.  Work commenced a while ago on researching his life, compiling information and producing/submitting grant applications.

Back in 1982 an event was held in Hoo to mark the centenary of his death.  This included steam rollers (and enthusiasts from around the country) driving through the village and along Church Street and Vicarage Lane (to St. Werburgh Church).

If you have any old photographs of this centenary event, I would very much like to hear from you.  If you have hard-copy photographs – they can easily be scanned and returned, just get in touch by emailing me here.