It is 200 years since John Pigney was first recorded as running a smithy in the Eden Valley.  

Two centuries later his descendants are still serving the local community via the well-loved family business H Pigney & Son, in Appleby. 

Local records document John Pigney as running the blacksmiths in 1824, although it may already have been established some time before this.  

The business was passed down the generations, based variously in King’s Meaburn, Newby and Crosby Ravensworth, with the fifth generation Henry Pigney moving to Howgate Foot, in Appleby, in the 1930s.  

His son Maurice joined the business in 1950, which became known as H Pigney & Son, the name it still bears today. 

It moved to its current retail premises on Chapel Street in 1961, and in 1972 bought the adjoining St Lawrence’s Church School to accommodate a horticultural showroom and agricultural stores.  

In 1981 Maurice and his wife Ena also expanded into the old Kingdom Hall next to the agricultural store to start a hardware and ironmongery shop.  

Maurice’s son David took over in 1997 alongside his sister Margaret. 

(Image: WittWoo)

Today the business is in the hands of the eighth generation, with David still working in the business as managing director alongside Margaret, as well his wife Linda, daughter Anna, son Chris and Margaret’s son Isaac. 

“It feels like a great sense of achievement to be part of such a long-standing family firm, and when looking back in the archives it is great to see local farm names that are still going strong today,” says Anna.  

Over the last 60 years H Pigney & Son has expanded to sell a wide range of agricultural machinery, as well equipment for horticultural and forestry industries. It also sells garden machinery, as well as running an old-fashioned, attended petrol station alongside its hardware and ironmongery shop. 

The business also sells a range of quad bikes and has an online store listing 10,000-plus products in addition to its physical premises. 

The family built a warehouse on the outskirts of Appleby in 2002 to house its growing range of agricultural machinery. 

"The site in the town itself isn't so big and when they first bought it, it was fine for small tractors and implements but everything today is so much bigger," says Anna.   
"We like to keep at least one tractor down in the yard to show we are still agricultural based and we'll have maybe one farm implement and a few quad bikes there all the time." 

December 2015 saw the Appleby store inundated with water when the River Eden burst its banks during Storm Desmond.  

It prompted a redesign of the hardware shop and agricultural showroom and agricultural stores which was completed in 2017. 

“We lifted everything higher than previous levels the water had come to,” says Anna.  

“But everything that we'd lifted, it just floated off and tipped it over. We were in a mess.” 

(Image: H Pigney & Son)

Since the flood the family have put a lift in place to enable them to move products upstairs in the event of future flooding and sunk part of the floor to enable them to move a pump in more easily.  

Anna says as the technology has improved robotic lawn mowers have become one of their bestsellers, with over 300 now installed and cutting lawns across the county.  

"When they were first introduced we were a bit sceptical and my dad put one in his garden himself and said he wasn't selling them unless they worked," says Anna.  

"As things have improved we've kept selling them and then once somebody gets them in a village the neighbours have a look and it snowballs.” 

Battery-powered gardening tools are also becoming more popular, including hedge trimmers, with the family always focused on providing the highest quality product they can.  

They also maintain and repair machinery for their customers. 

"It's been trying to move with the times and not getting left behind, but equally offering something different,” says Anna. 

“We pride ourselves on good customer service. If you've got a problem we can do our best to sort it out. 

“Generations of the farming community and public have relied upon our products, services and unparalleled knowledge throughout the years.  

“We have built a one stop shop and pride ourselves upon giving our customers the full experience from knowledgeable sales to quality services and repairs.” 

The family is holding an open day and evening celebration for customers, suppliers and friends on September 21 to mark its 200th anniversary. 

“It is apparent there is still a great sense of loyalty and sense of family in the community,” says Anna. 

“Some say that you shouldn’t work with family and although it can be difficult at times, I’m sure none of us would have it any other way – we all have our own roles, along with over 20 other staff members. It just works.”