Boswell Bros: Skip Hire, Waste Transfer and Building Materials in Salisbury

We started out in 1932 selling and delivering firewood and logs. Within a few years we’d diversified into sand and gravel, then started manufacturing our own concrete blocks, then bought our first truck in 1939 and began building the HGV fleet we still run today. By the late 1970s, that same practical, add-a-string-to-our-bow approach led us into waste management, and we’ve been a fully licensed waste transfer station in Ford, just outside Salisbury, ever since.

Nearly a Century in Ford, Still Family Owned

We were officially incorporated in 1942, and the business has stayed in the same family the whole way through. Ken, Ernest and Ted Boswell built the foundations; their descendants Eddie and John Boswell took over in 1976; and since 1994, Eddie and Sue Boswell have owned the company outright, growing it with the help of a genuinely excellent team into Salisbury’s premier independent trade and retail building material and DIY supplier.

Skip Hire, Hook Loader and Grab Lorry

For larger construction jobs where space on site isn’t a problem, we offer roll-on-off skips, delivered with our newer hook loader designed to get into the tightest of entrances. Where leaving a skip on site simply isn’t an option, our 8-wheel grab lorry can collect and self-load any non-hazardous waste directly, needing only an 8½ foot gap to access your site and loading from the side. The same vehicle is also available for haulage hire if that’s what your project needs.

Chain Lift Skips for Every Type of Waste

Beyond the larger equipment, we run a fleet of four-wheeled chain lift skip loaders ranging from 7.5 to 16 tonnes gross weight, delivering open and enclosed skips suited to different waste types: standard builders skips for general, inert and hardcore waste; drop-door skips in limited supply; skips for general and hardcore waste ideal for house clearances; and enclosed options built specifically for house or shop clearance and mixed waste where inert and hardcore materials aren’t accepted. Knowing which one your job actually needs isn’t always obvious, so we’re always happy to talk it through on the phone before you book.

Our Own Waste Transfer Station and Weighbridge

We’ve operated a fully licensed waste transfer station since the late 1970s, and we’ve recently moved the main tipping area to a more suitable spot on our site. With our own weighbridge, we can accept all non-hazardous commercial waste quickly and efficiently, and if you’re tired of queuing at the municipal dump, we’re happy to take your household waste too, aiming to provide the premier waste drop-off service in South Wiltshire.

A Builders Merchant Too

Skips and waste aren’t the whole story. In our builders yard, we stock aggregate, timber and surfacing supplies including kerb stones, gravel and sand, alongside blocks, bricks, walling, brick and block paving, drainage goods, manhole covers and frames, and packed cement, limes and chemicals. With our own weighbridge, you can load loose materials into your own trailer or van, or let us load it for you. It means a customer clearing a site with us can often pick up what they need for the next stage of the job in the same visit.

Committed to Recycling

We have more than 40 years of experience in waste management, and we continue to be a market leader in recycling for the Salisbury area, with a commitment to recycle at least 90% of everything brought into our fully authorised waste transfer station.

What Our Customers Say

Customers consistently praise our excellent service, competitive prices and expert advice from friendly, helpful staff. Several have highlighted our delivery options, including same-day delivery even around busy periods like Christmas, and the sheer variety of products available on site. We’ve also been commended for supporting the local community, including helping move tonne bags for a public community garden project, which is exactly the kind of local involvement we’re proud to be part of.

Get in Touch

Contact us to talk through skip hire, grab lorry hire, waste transfer, or anything you need from our builders yard. Whether it’s a domestic clear-out, a full construction site, or a DIY project needing materials, we’re happy to help you work out exactly what you need.

Nearly a hundred years after Ken and Ernest Boswell first started delivering firewood around Ford, the same instinct to diversify and keep the yard genuinely useful to the local area is still what drives the business today. Whatever combination of skip hire, waste disposal or building materials your project needs, there’s a decent chance we can sort most of it from the same site.

Use the form below to contact us