Wiltshire Steam and Vintage Rally, (11th - 12th June, 2022)
This is one of a series of pages which I have uploaded to illustrate facets of steam rallies we have attended in the UK. Such events occur all over the country in the summer months, they are easily found by using your favourite search engine and may have anything between a handful of steam engines and hundreds (as at the Great Dorset Steam Fair which could probably be fairly described as having an excess of riches). Click here for the overall index for 2022.
The Wiltshire Rally is at the 'small' end of the scale and was hugely disappointing with just 4 engines on display in 2019. Since then it has been 'all change' with a relocation to Lydiard Park just to the west of Swindon. It turned out to be more like a showground without the facilities. I had scheduled just a short visit as the main target for the day was the previously more reliable Stoke Row. In the event, I stayed rather longer than anticipated as I waited for the sun to appear between the clouds and for the other visitors (grockles) to clear too.
There may have been a 'working area' (confirmation please anyone?) but since there was plenty of space around the steam area, I doubt it. Again, there would have been a 'parade' at some stage.
Obviously what I saw was a massive improvement even if almost half the engines had been at Castle Combe two weeks earlier. I always have a grumble, in this case it would be the total lack of signage for the rally (although the park is well signposted) and the way the bags pf coal had been dumped thoughtlessly in such a way that it was difficult to exclude them from the pictures. Of course, with more time, there would have been some movement which would have sorted that issue. The attendance was modest during my visit but I assume that the fine weather encouraged more people to come through the gate later in the weekend.
There was a nice mixture of engines, but the damp conditions meant that there was no movement during our visit which was well before the scheduled parade in the main ring.
Steam Rollers
General Engines
Showman's Engines
Steam Car
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Maker |
Notes |
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Stanley | Modern replica |