Riley and Neate Ltd – Electrical & Civil Engineers

I joined the firm in 1957 as an indentured civil engineer. The office was The Abbey Mill Winchester Hants. I recall Riley & Neate were in business from the early 1930’s, until the firm was sold in 1962 to Watsham’s of Reading. Most staff left without going to Reading.

In the power industry Riley & Neate was a well respected contractor against Balfour Beatty, Watshams & BICC

There were three other offices: Darlington managed by Mr Riley, Loughborough and Wimborne Dorset. Initially I believe they designed and built WW2 radar and forestry commission towers.

High and low voltage power lines were designed and built throughout the UK for the English, Scottish and Welsh area electricity boards. The ultimate UK power authority was CEB then CEGB. In Winchester we designed wood pole lines and steel tower lines for 11kv, 132kV, 275kV and we undertook the first up-grade of an existing line from 275kV to 400kV, which was to Bristol.

To facilitate the work we designed our own equipment as required. To change insulator sets for upgrading, steel frames were made to remove then replace longer insulators sets in-situ. To carry the 2metre diameter wooden cable drums, a trailer was designed with an original application of disc brakes to control the speed, as the cable was pulled through the section.

Design work covered sag tables for cable erection to suit conditions (snow & wind loading) for each line section, mass concrete foundations and towers. Towers were Blaw Knox or Painter Brothers with insulators from Pilkington or Bullars. Also we designed & built substations. I spent one summer building Loch Monar to Beauly power station Invernesshire Scotland then Winfrith Nuclear Power Station to Wareham Dorset, 2 significant OHL projects.

In Winchester Eric Neate BSc, MIEE managed the office. Some other directors at Winchester were Vera Neate his wife, who was Mayor of Winchester in 1961-62, Edward Lee CEng, MICE engineering director and Ronald Pearce company secretary.

In the early sixties Neate visited Ohio USA to obtain agreement from the US firm to manufacturer their patented power line product in the UK. I managed the build of a factory in Andover Hants to make “staywires”. Galvanised steel wire drawn through a patent metal die which puts a circular twist into the wire. The company Preformed Line Products of Andover Hants is in operation today.

A C Wills DMS CEng MICE MCMI
July 2026