A Brief History

The origin of this company is some what vague ! The Sneller business is believed to have started in the late 1860's by Frank Sneller and maybe his brother Robert. The current Sneller family know very little of the business activities of that era, but in the mid 1880's they started a horse drawn bus service from the 'Bull Inn' public house. This service ran from Buckland to the Southern Region Railway Station at the Western Docks. The service continued until the start of Dover Tramways in 1897. The other part of the business was as a General Carrier using single horse and carts which were based at the ' Friend In Need' public house located in Peter Street later moving on to Deburgh Street.

Frank Sneller died in 1900 leaving the business to his son's Arthur & Percy, who carried on the business trading as 'Sneller Brothers'. Arthur died in 1906 and Percy became sole owner of the business trading as 'P. W. Sneller'. In 1920 patrol lorries were introduced into the business, the last horse was retired from the business in 1951. Between the years 1932 - 1948 Sneller ran the Dover Refuse Collection service.

Percy Sneller was killed in an air raid in 1942, the business was then run by his son Harold Sneller going on to become a limited company. Harold Sneller built the company up into a thriving business operating both Haulage and Tipper lorries. He also built a commercial vehicle repair garage which operated in Cherry Tree Avenue on the site that is occupied today by Kwik Fit.

P. W. Sneller ceased trading in December 1979.

Thanks to Graham & Mary Sneller for providing information and photographs.

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