TRWBM:2000.224 Charles Lansdown seated at his desk in the office at The Wiltshire Times, Duke Street
The Founding of the Wiltshire Times
In May 1854 Trowbridge and North Wilts Advisor, a monthly penny publication, was founded by Benjamin Lansdown. Benjamin was born in Trowbridge and was the son of a woollen mill employee, uninspired by the woollen cloth trade, Benjamin apprenticed as a printer alongside Mr John Sweet. Benjamin Lansdown bought his first printer, an Albion, and a second hand printer from his mentor John Sweet for £12 (£1,129 as of Feb 2025). By it’s second year it was a weekly publication and around 1860 Benjamin established his own stationary shop in Silver Street. This site functioned as both shop and office for his newspaper. In 1880 the Advertiser merged with the Wiltshire Times under the control of the Lansdown family and took on the name The Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser.
After Benjamin
George Lansdown, Benjamin’s youngest son, became chief editor in 1884, a position he held for over 40 years. The impressive R. Hoe & Co printing press arrived at the Duke Street location. This allowed printers to use continuous rolls of paper instead of individual sheets. This innovation significantly sped up the printing process, and countless copies of the newspaper rolled off the Duke Street press for many years.
The newspaper operated from Duke Street for over a century, and the Lansdown family owned the business for generations until they finally sold it in the early 1960s. The accompanying photograph from around 1900 shows a Midland Railway Co wagon delivering newsprint rolls to the Wiltshire Times office in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, illustrating this pivotal period.
After George’s death, his nephew became editor, and then George’s only son followed him in the role. Michael Lansdown was the fourth generation of the Lansdown family to own the company and the fifth, and last, to be named editor.
In 1935, the newspaper gave up its Silver Street office, consolidating all operations at the Duke Street site. The Duke Street site produced its last letterpress newspaper in 1986.
Printing at the Wiltshire Times
The image above shows the flong for the last issue printed using letterpress, a method that created newspapers for centuries. Workers meticulously set metal type, writing the text in reverse by hand and placing it into a chase. After proofreading, they created a curved metal template, holding all the type in place. This process was done for every page, quickly, requiring highly skilled workers.
Today, computers handle printing, saving time, money, and materials. In 2019, the Wiltshire Times moved to North Bradley because its Duke Street building was no longer fit for purpose.
