Our caravan dealership history

While established at our current site in Bradford, West Yorkshire since 1955, Albion didn’t start life as a caravan dealership. Originally Albion Service Station, the business was started and run by World War II veteran Bill Powell and his wife, Joyce. However, in 1961, the Port of London dock strike caused huge problems for many manufacturers, including local Leeds business, Mardon Caravans. With caravans stuck on the dockside in Hull, they needed a way to keep selling their products and just by chance, the owner happened to share a bank manager with Bill and Joyce. An introduction and negotiations followed, and by the summer of 1961, the first new Mardon caravan arrived onsite with the Powells, and the business name was changed to Albion Caravans.

Within a decade, in around 1970, the Powell’s decided to shift away from cars entirely and focus on becoming a dedicated caravan dealership, which it remains today. You can learn more about Bill’s incredible life at the bottom of this page.

Remaining a family-run caravan company today

Following Bill & Joyce Powell’s retirement in 1988, Stephen Fowler bought Albion Caravans on the 1st  January 1989, adding caravan servicing and repairs to the company’s offerings. The petrol station continued to run independently from Albion until around 2001, when Stephen purchased and decommissioned it to create more room for his growing stock of caravans.

Ever since ownership changed, we’ve retained the same high standards that the Powell’s became known for. With Stephen’s son, James, now heading up the caravan dealership, Albion is still a family-run business offering exceptional service to customers across North and West Yorkshire.

New and preloved caravans

Albion has continued to develop and grow over the years, with the site fully secured and using the full footprint to hold our constantly rolling stock of new and preloved caravans. We offer fast valuations and great prices if you’re in the North or West Yorkshire area and looking to sell your caravan, and also have a caravan shop on our Bradford site, selling all the accessories, parts and supplies you need for your UK and overseas travels.

Offering a friendly service and expert caravanning help and advice, please contact our team with any questions or queries via our webform or on 01274 611867. Alternatively, if you’d like to visit our caravan dealership, we’re ideally located for customers across North and West Yorkshire, and within easy reach from Leeds, Harrogate, York, Wetherby, Shipley, Halifax, Keighley, Ilkley and Huddersfield.