Description and History of Site:-
Arthur Benson Wardman established himself as a sewing machine and cycle agent at 17 Regent Parade, Harrogate c.1897. By 1903 he was Wardman & Son, cycle and motor makers. In c.1905 Wardman went into partnership with Thomas Cherry Atkinson, a mechanical engineer, later an iron merchant, no doubt with funds to invest. The business expanded and in c.1908 A B Wardman & Sons moved into no. 25 Cambridge Street, on the south side, as coachbuilders. They had been appointed the Rolls-Royce distributorship for the West Riding of Yorkshire by December 1906 and made their first Rolls-Royce sale in January/February 1907. Its body was by London coachbuilder Barker. Between 1907 and 1915 Wardman sold 108 Rolls-Royce cars of which 45 (41.6%) were bodied by Yorkshire coachbuilders. Wardman began coachbuilding in 1909, building 19 bodies on Rolls-Royces up to 1914/15 when coachbuilding ended. They were awarded sole dealerships for Delage and FIAT so it is likely they also bodied such cars. Wardman remained at Cambridge Street until 1917 when the business suffered a set-back and they moved elsewhere. In September 1917 the partnership Atkinson was dissolved when the latter was appointed a temporary Inspector of Ordnance for the Army. In 1920 Wardman lost the lucrative Rolls-Royce and Delage dealerships to Rippon Bros. in Huddersfield. A B Wardman continued as a cycle and car dealer and motor engineers at various addresses in Harrogate until c.1956.
During the 1930s the south side of Cambridge Street had been remodelled and renumbered, no.25 becoming no.37. Nos.33-37 are (in 2016) a branch of Topshop.

Help us improve this entry

The compilers welcome corrections or additional information on all sites.
Any information provided will be verified before appearing on the web site.

Email comments

Key Words :- coachbuilders carriages cars coachbuilding retail motor engineers

Viewing the Site :- Site redeveloped

Address :- 37 Cambridge Street, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 1RN
Grid Ref :- SE 30199 55317
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.993017 , Long -1.540873
Local Authority :- Harrogate Borough Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site extant - Protected status unknown
Site Condition :- Site redeveloped to industrial / commercial use
Site Dates :- c.1885 -
Record Date :- 20 November 2016

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Robert Vickers