For Sale

Rare & Original
Leonard of Soham
Reading-Style Caravan
Circa 1908



An opportunity to purchase and own a rare Reading style waggon, built in 1908, by a notable, & one of the first early builders of waggons, Elias Leonard of Soham, who in 1892 advertised "travellers' house vans and waggons built & repaired", and went on to establish a family firm with a reputation for building good quality burton showmans.

Leonard was also noted for using Thomas of Chertsey underworks on their straight sided caravans and known for occasionally building living vans with a kite style body with showman wheels under.

The same carving designs of a certain style, were often used on some Stubbs of Barrowden waggons and Leonard of Soham waggons demonstrating connections between the two builders, probably using the same carvers.

My parents bought this caravan in 1959 for £27 from a former landgirl who had
been living in it.  Since then it has been kept in their garden. 

It was fully restored, re roofed and repainted by the Leveridge family in about 2002
and given its age is in genrally, very good condition - it needs some minor repairs (two of the felloes on one wheel, the weather boarding and bottom porch brackets at the front) and needs a full repaint & decoration to bring it up to its full glory. Since restoration 2002, it has mainly been kept under cover.

Much of the woodwork is original - penny boarding, undercarriage, carving.
  Interior contains the original fittings - stove and fire surround, box seating, etched mirrors, chest of drawers, bow-fronted corner cupboard (damaged glass).  It also
has two carriage lamps and the rack for the back.  There are no shafts, but the
original metal fittings have survived. 

An almost identical waggon made by this builder, is featured in a photo in The Book of Boswell: Autobiography of a Gypsy with the Dennard and Beldam families (1923).  

Location:- Norfolk

Sale Price: £7,500 (UKP)

More photos available and for further information:-
email :- [email protected]
tel :- 07949495348

No time wasters please.

Waggon images copyright wagon owner