A UNIQUE filling station in the Golden Valley which is believed to be one of the oldest in the country is to sell fuel once again following a refurbishment.

Robert Wilding has been running West End Garage, in Vowchurch, since the 1990s when he took over from his dad, Hedley.

The garage has been refuelling motorists since 1923 when Mr Wilding's grandfather, James Charles, was granted a licence to sell petrol.

Widely believe to be one of the oldest filling stations in Britain, Mr Wilding is now taking steps to upgrade the tank so that he can continue his family's legacy.

He said: "My grandfather started selling fuel in 1923. He died in 1948 and my father and uncle took over the business then. I have grown up here.

"I am only using one petrol pump now and trying to keep the tradition up of selling petrol in the Golden Valley.

"I haven't been selling since last June but have been helping people out with petrol should they get stuck. But I am going to start again in the next fortnight."

There are two petrol pumps in the front garden, one a Wayne and the other an Avery.

Large enamelled advertisement plates for Raleigh bicycles and one for Castrol can be seen on the front facade of the house, which dates from the early to mid twentieth century.

Sales take place in the front room of the cottage which has a sales counter for sweets, newspapers and small motoring supplies.

But the traditional appearance of the filling station won't change with the refurb and works are taking place to change the tank to a fiberglass liner with new plastic pipes.

"If the work hadn't been carried out I would have had to have had it filled with concrete or had the tank taken out," Mr Wilding, 67, said.

"So it was one or the other and I decided to carry on. I'm not going to make much money out of it but it's a traditional way of life."

The pump will supply motorists with petrol but Mr Wilding is also able to help anyone who needs diesel.

Speaking about why his grandfather decided to start the business, he added: "He just went into everything. He was a coffin maker, he did building work, he did cycle repairs. He had the first radio in the district, he was just a pioneer, he was a marvellous man that I never met."