The latest Wyevale garden centres to change hands have been acquired by businesses new to the garden industry but with related interests.

English Salvage Ltd, which has taken over the Hereford Wellington centre (pictured), is a leading reclamation yard with a global reputation and lists dozens of salvaged decorative garden and landscaping items on its website.

Based in Leominster, the family-run business was started by Rupert and Pru Woods, who travel extensively to source stock. It has a turnover of circa £1 million.

Site manager Chris Fish told GTN Xtra: “We’ve outgrown our current premises and have been searching for new ones for some time. When the Hereford Wellington garden centre came up for sale it seemed a great opportunity for our business – it is only six miles from our current building. We have some connection with the garden industry because some of the materials we salvage and reclaim is garden-related. We will continue to run Hereford Wellington as a garden centre alongside our current business.”

Rupert Woods has an MSc in Tropical Agriculture and spent his professional career in working in aid and development in Third World countries before turning his attention to salvage. His wife trained and worked as a journalist before joining him in Africa.

Salisbury-based In-Excess UK Ltd, which has taken on four former Wyevales in the south, is run by 58-year-old Carl Chambers, who has more than 30 years experience as a trader. The In-Excess chain, which has five outlets within a 30-mile radius of its head office, is a discount retailer specialising in selling surplus and liquidation stock direct to the public. Deeply-discounted lines from brands like Miracle-Gro, Erin, Vitax, Westland and Charles Bentley were being advertised on their website last week.

Turnover in the year to January 2018 was £10.63 million.

The Salisbury, West Parley (Ferndown), Fair Oak (Eastleigh) and Landford (Southampton) centres will retained as garden centres. The In-Excess stores are at Salisbury, Ringwood, Christchurch, Parkstone and West End.

Mr Chambers was unavailable for comment when GTN Xtra closed for press.