Didcot Dairy Story

(Job’s Processing Plant, Didcot, 1948, Courtesy of the Roberts Foundation.)

Job's Dairy was once the largest privately owned dairy in the UK and was founded in 1819. Numerous Job’s Dairy farms, processing plants, depots and stores were located within the south of England from the 19th to the 20th century. Job’s was a family owned business, and often employed whole families within local areas. Some sites included accommodation for employees, and their families. Employees enjoyed a wide range of activities, facilitated by Job’s, including sporting tournaments, social dances, and an annual ‘Miss Job’ competition. As a result, Job’s was a community within a community.

The Didcot branch was acquired in 1935 and was a large Dairy processing and bottling plant, with an additional chicken egg farm. The plant was located West of the old railway line which ran from Didcot, via Newbury, to Southampton. This railway line is no longer in operation and was repurposed. It is now the raised 544 cycle route, running from Upton to Didcot. The land, once used by Job’s Dairy, in Didcot, was purchased and re-developed for housing in the late 1980s. The houses located on Western Avenue are believed to be the original location of the Job’s Dairy farm in Didcot. 

Didcot is a historic town, and its railway history is well known. The Dairy, however, is yet to be acknowledged. For those who can remember the Dairy, it holds a special place in their heart. It is important that this agricultural heritage is not lost forever. The Dairy site was re-developed for housing in the 1980s, and no known archaeological record exists, yet local people have found Job’s Dairy bottles when gardening. We believe the Dairy, and its community, wants to be acknowledged. Didcot is a growing town, with new developments taking place to expand the town and its population even further. Consequently, there are many new residents who may feel less connected to the town, the community, and its heritage. Additionally, long-standing residents have watched the town change significantly, especially in recent years. Providing a glimpse into the town’s agricultural and archaeological history provides an opportunity for the community, new and old, to come together in celebration of Didcot’s heritage.