The Fruehauf site has a rich industrial heritage, having once been home to Aveling & Barford, the renowned manufacturers of steam-powered road rollers, with production on the site dating back as far as 1861.
Recently, a remarkable piece of that history has been rediscovered. Two brass caps, originally part of a steam-powered road roller, were found on site. During their working life, steam would have passed continuously through these components as part of the roller’s operation, making them an integral part of early road construction technology.
As the years passed and technology advanced, steam power was replaced by diesel. Yet this small but significant relic survived. It was rediscovered by one of Fruehauf’s factory workers, whose family has an extraordinary 87-year connection to the site. The brass caps themselves had been kept within the family for 81 years, passed down as a quiet reminder of the site’s engineering past.
Adding a particularly personal and historical touch, a 1914 George V halfpenny has been welded onto the top of the caps. The coin firmly anchors the artefact in time, transforming it from a machinery component to a historical piece of Fruehauf.
Today, the rediscovered piece stands not just as a reminder of the site’s origins but as a symbol of continuity, celebrating the craftsmanship, innovation, and people that have shaped the Fruehauf site for more than a century.
