The Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, Dame Sarah Troughton, visited The Hills Group on Wednesday, 22 October, to mark the company’s 125th anniversary, celebrating more than a century of family-led business across the county.
Representing His Majesty King Charles III, Dame Sarah was welcomed by Mike Hill, Chairman of The Hills Group, and toured several key operational sites in Lower Compton, South Cerney, and Swindon.
The visit began at the Materials Recovery Facility at Sands Farm, Lower Compton — opened in 2020 by Hills Waste Solutions — which processes recycling from nearly a quarter of a million Wiltshire homes, sorting up to 52,000 tonnes of dry mixed waste each year.
Dame Sarah also toured Hills Quarry Products’ concrete site in Lower Compton and High Penn Park, a 200-home development in Calne completed last year by Hills Homes.
At Cerney Wick Quarry in South Cerney, the Lord Lieutenant viewed the aggregate bagging plant and learned about Hills’ restoration partnerships with the Cotswold Lakes Trust and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.
The tour concluded at Wiltshire House, the company’s Swindon head office, where Dame Sarah met employees, visited the charity committee’s bake sale for Cats Protection, and viewed ancient fossils discovered at Cerney Wick Quarry — including remains from a 200,000-year-old mammoth graveyard featured in a BBC documentary with Sir David Attenborough.
Founded in 1900 by Edward Hill with a brickworks in Swindon, The Hills Group remains a family-run business, with Mike Hill representing the fourth generation of family leadership.
Mike Hill, Chairman, said:
“It was an honour to accompany the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, Dame Sarah Troughton, on a tour of our sites in recognition of Hills’ 125th anniversary. To achieve this milestone and host the King’s representative makes me incredibly proud, and it’s a testament to the dedication of my forebears and thousands of loyal employees.”
Dame Sarah Troughton, Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, added:
“My tour of Hills and its diverse operations has been a fascinating experience. Watching the recycling process at Lower Compton was mesmerising, and I was inspired to see how the company’s quarry restoration partnerships make such a positive impact. My sincere thanks to Mike Hill and everyone at Hills for an informative and inspiring visit.”
