Salopian Engineers Limited
Salopian Engineers Limited, based at Prees in Shropshire was founded in 1926 as the Salopian Cattle Bowl Company, and run by Mr. W. Batkin and Mr. H. S. Morris.

They produced a range of drinking bowls for all kinds of livestock, and took out several patents for improved designs.


Trade Mark.

Mr. W. Batkin. From the autumn 1948 edition of the staff magazine "Goodwill".		 Early developments included a non-return valve for use with non-splash drinking bowls, fed from a cistern, with a ball valve to ensure that a constant supply of clean water was always available.

They sold under the name 'Non-Splash' and were extremely successful. Another development was a tubular type of chain stall for cows, with an adjustable three position quick release fastening. They also sold well.

Other products included a range of salt-glazed mangers, fitted with roof lights and ventilators, which led to the development of all kinds of equipment for farm buildings, and eventually the establishment of a Building and Construction Department to undertake the erection of all types of farm buildings. In 1932 the firm built the largest cow house in Europe housing 288 cows.
The firm's vast product range included tubular panelled pens with gates and feeding equipment, corner bull ties, bull field exercisers, service crates, inoculation pens, lairage pens, sorting pens, sales rings, steel windows, sliding doors, roof trusses, steel gates, steel silos, seamless steel wheelbarrows, and overhead carrier systems to carry manure, food, hay or straw.

Other products included dairy equipment such as steam-raising boilers, milk cooler stands, milking machine racks, steps, and washing troughs.

For builders, the firm produced conveyors, angle bending machines, and tube fittings for racks, railings, and scaffolding.
Mr. H. S. Morris. From the autumn 1948 edition of the staff magazine "Goodwill".
 

A Pearl Junior non-splash bowl with nose plate.

  

An Excelsior non-splash bowl.


A wall-mounting non-splash bowl.

 In 1940 the firm was incorporated and became Salopian Engineers Limited. During the Second World War the firm repaired and maintained platforms for the RAF, and produced a large number of tube fittings of all kinds.

In 1946 the firm was acquired by Rubery Owen & Company Limited and started a successful export drive, exporting products to Canada, Australia, South Africa and Scandinavia.

Many products were produced for use with tractors, including ploughs, trailers with tipping gear, manure carts, manure spreaders, and the patented 'Conveyall' for loading and storing bags, bales, or root crops.
On 2nd October, 1965 its retail division was merged with Salopian-Kenneth Hudson Limited, which became Rubery Owen (Metal Assemblies) Limited in October 1973, to absorb the Darlaston company's Metal Assemblies Division. It then became a subsidiary of Rubery Owen (Darlaston) Limited.

Salopian Engineers Limited ceased trading in 1966 and remained dormant until its name was changed to Rubery Owen (Metal Equipment) Limited in 1975.


A Double Pearl non-splash bowl.


The Salopian factory.

A Salopian 'Sweeplift' which picks-up and loads green grass, loose hay, or straw.		 The firm's many products included:
farmyard manure spreaders, with or without power take-off, disc ploughs, fertiliser and lime distributors, grass pick-ups for silage making, sugar beet harvesters, hay lifts, elevators, large and small pick-up balers, 2 and 4 wheel tractor trailers, tumbril manure carts, food trucks, and wheelbarrows.

Complete cow houses were also built, including what at the time, was the largest cow house in the world, housing 288 cows under one roof.

Other products included:
yoke and chain type tubular stalls for cattle,
tubular pens, mangers, and equipment for stables and piggeries.

The firm specialised in the design and erection of all kinds of farm buildings, which were built by the Constructional Department.


A cow house containing equipment that was supplied by the company.


One of the firm's cow houses.


A Salopian 'Conveyall' multi-purpose loader.
A Salopian disc plough.

Versions were available with 2 to 6 discs.

 
One of the firm's cow sheds. From the autumn 1948 edition of the staff magazine "Goodwill".

The firm's stand at the Royal York Show. From the autumn 1948 edition of the staff magazine "Goodwill".
One of the firm's conveyors.

From the autumn 1948 edition of the staff magazine "Goodwill".
The inside of a Salopian cow shed.

From the autumn 1948 edition of the staff magazine "Goodwill".
Another view of the cow shed.

From the autumn 1948 edition of the staff magazine "Goodwill".
The erecting shop, covering 31,000 square feet.

From the autumn 1948 edition of the staff magazine "Goodwill".
A Salopian model 528 plough in operation.

From the summer 1951 edition of the staff magazine "Goodwill".
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