For more than 100 years, motorists have been stopping at Misterton’s garage to get their fuel.
And Mark Hillier has been there for more than half a century, having arrived there aged just 18 months with dad Nick and mum Liz in 1971.
“There are still customers who come in and call me Nick,” Mark said.

It’s unknown just how long Misterton Garage has been there, but it is at least a century, with photos going back to the 1920’s.
It’s had several incarnations over that time, being EA Taylor’s motorbikes for some years before the Hilliers moved in and first turned it into a commercial garage before taking on more and more work on private cars.

They quickly became established and became an official Ford service centre, a partnership which still continues today.
Taylors moved to another site before closing – the family still live locally.
In 1978, when Mark was just nine, his father died. Liz carried on the business, despite having three small children, a menagerie of pets and her father to look after.
“I didn’t appreciate just how much she did until now,” said Mark.

“She moved my grandad in here, who brought his vicious goat with him, which kept escaping, despite being chained up, and eating everything it could find – plants,
carpet… everything. Don’t get a goat if you want to keep anything.”
Mark, now 55, spent 20 years working in the workshop before taking over the paperwork after his mum died. “I’d rather be in the workshop,” said Mark.
“But someone’s got to do the paperwork.”
Mark was joined in the business 40 years ago by sales manager Paul Gillard, who has built up the second hand car sales side.
Both the workshop and the car sales are brisk, keeping them busy.
“Paul has been a total rock,” said Mark. The pumps are still here, and busy as ever. “We sell fuel as a loss leader,” said Mark.
“There’s no money in it – we make more from selling a Mars Bar!”
The fuel has remained a constant, however,with photos of the various pumps over the years bringing back all sorts of memories of trips in old cars, where one would
stop and a chap dressed in fragrantly oily overalls would come out and put the fuel in for you, taking the cash through the driver’s window.

The photos show gorgeous ceramic and glass creations atop the pumps, as the brand of fuel changed from Shell, Q8, Pace, and Cleveland. The original pumps were set at the pavement, but someone must have thought of health and safety at some point as later photos show them set back some way, out of the crash zone.
Photos show a cottage being demolished at a time when such things could be done without planning permission, in the first half of the 20th century, and the garage was subsequently expanded.
A timber-framed workshop was taken down in the latter half of the 20th century – just in the nick of time judging by the way the frame nearly collapsed once the cladding was taken off.
Mark said: “Two cottages were demolished on the site. One was thought to be a home where young women came to have their babies in secret before they were adopted.”

The Hillier family lived, and still does, on site. The current workshop is at capacity, with bookings two weeks in advance.
There’s no need to change anything – however Mark may make the workshop a bit bigger at some point.
One of Mark’s sisters works for Boeing, the other is a nurse and his daughter is a tattoo artist in Dorchester.
His stepson currently shows no interest in the trade, so the site could be in its last phase as a Hillier business.
However it’s a good phase, with scores of great reviews and a loyal customer base. Mark said: “I’ve now got the best staff I’ve ever had. I can go away safe in the
knowledge it will all be running well.”
Bringing the photos out for this feature has sparked a desire to find out more and pin down some dates, too.

n If anyone would like to help Mark with information about the garage, they can contact the garage on 01460 72997 or email mistertongarageltd@hotmail.com
Misterton Garage is on the A356 just before Crewkerne. It is open 9am-5.30pm Monday to Friday, 9am-1pm on Saturdays.
n http://mistertongarage1.co.uk