Pettifer’s of Bromyard & the Morgan Mural: A Motoring Heritage

Early Origins and Industrial Enterprise

Albert Edward Pettifer (c.1874–1934) was a trained ironmonger from Wiltshire who moved to Bromyard in the early 20th century. By 1911 he had established himself as an ironmonger and engineer in the town, laying the foundation for a business that would serve Bromyard’s agricultural and industrial needs. Pettifer’s firm quickly became an essential supplier to the local economy: it provided equipment for the county’s hop-growing industry, from thousands of steel hop pegs to complete hop-drying kilns. During slower periods, his workshop would cut and bend lengths of steel rod into hop hooks – each acre of hops needed about 1,800 of these, keeping the shop busy year-round. This combination of hardware retail and light engineering made Pettifer’s name well known in Bromyard’s rural hinterland.

As the business grew, A. & E. Pettifer Ltd. (as it became known) expanded into new premises. By the late 1920s, the company operated both a traditional ironmonger’s storefront on Broad Street and a motor garage on Rowberry Street. In an era when electricity and motor vehicles were transforming daily life, Pettifer’s could outfit everything from farm fields to early automobiles. This dual role – part general store for tools and iron goods, part garage for engines and motor repairs – positioned Pettifer’s at the heart of Bromyard’s transition into the modern age. The Broad Street shop catered to household and farming needs, while the Rowberry Street workshops handled mechanical work and metal fabrication, symbolising Bromyard’s blend of agriculture and industry in the early 1900s.

Pettifer’s & the Birth of the Morgan Three-Wheeler

Bromyard’s nearest market town to the Morgan family in Stoke Lacy, Pettifer’s Rowberry Street garage became the trusted maintainer of the Morgan family’s early vehicles. When H.F.S. Morgan developed his first Runabout three-wheeler in 1910, he turned to Pettifer’s craftsmen to build the metal chassis, each completed chassis body was then transported by Pettifer’s own mail van over the Malvern Hills to Morgan’s factory in Malvern for final assembly. This partnership continued until around 1912, making Bromyard an early outpost of British car manufacturing.

Rowberry Street: Bromyard’s “Tin Pan Alley”

The clang of hammer on metal in Pettifer’s workshop earned Rowberry Street the nickname “Tin Pan Alley.” Here, tradesmen shaped chassis components and riveted body panels by hand, creating an industrial soundscape that echoed through the narrow lane. Though Pettifer’s garage closed mid-century, the legend of those early Morgan test runs and metal-shaping workshops remains woven into the street’s identity.

The Morgan Mural (accessed via Tinton Brothers Alley)

In 2022, Bromyard & Winslow Town Council, backed by Herefordshire Council grants, commissioned a public art scheme to celebrate local heritage. The Morgan Three-Wheeler mural now adorns the side wall of Tinton Brothers (formerly Pettifer’s workshop) in Tin Pan Alley. Painted by local artists, the mural features Morgan’s winged emblem against a vivid red three-wheeler silhouette—honouring Pettifer’s role in building those very bodies. An adjacent plaque recounts this unique link to the Morgan Motor Company.

Community Collaboration and Recognition

The mural was delivered under the Destination Bromyard program, with design input from local heritage experts and the Morgan Motor Company archivist. Funded by government “Welcome Back” and “Great Place to Visit” grants, the project enlisted artists, K4 Architects, and community historians to ensure historical accuracy. Since its unveiling, the mural has featured on Bromyard’s guided heritage trails and QR-enabled walking tours, inviting visitors to explore the town’s motoring stories .

Lasting Legacy

Today, the Morgan mural stands as a landmark on Bromyard’s heritage trail. It links passers-by directly to the town’s pivotal role in early British motoring—reminding us that a humble ironmongers on Broad Street and a corrugated-iron workshop on Rowberry Street helped launch one of Britain’s most iconic car marques. From hop-drying kilns to racing legends, Pettifer’s story and its painted tribute continue to inspire and educate .