A WILTSHIRE solicitor now has time to visit every cathedral in the country since retiring after 40 years.

Doug Hughes, who works at Bevirs in Royal Wootton Basset, will leave the legal world behind at the end of the month to enjoy retirement with wife Mary.

The 65-year-old, who ran his own practice in Gorse Hill for 12 years, decided to retire after seeing the law industry evolve over the decades.

“The law profession has changed so much over the past 40 years and it was time for me to move on,” he said.

“I’ve enjoyed my time running my practice and working as a consultant so I’m not sad about it.”

Doug trained in Newbury, Berkshire in the late 1960s, before qualifying in 1972. He moved to Wiltshire three years later to join H Bevir & Son, later renamed Bevirs.

During his 40-year-tenure Doug also ran his own practice on Cricklade Road and said that Swindon in the Eighties had a lovely community atmosphere, which inspired him to set up offices there.

“When I first moved to Swindon in 1983 I was the only legal practice around,” he said.

“I made a lot of good friends very quickly, it had a lovely community and village-like atmosphere and I was kept very busy.

“Morrison and Masters were across the road and Tony Cox who ran the estate agents. I made some really good friends there.”

He plans to enjoy his retirement by fulfilling an ambition to visit every abbey and cathedral in England and Wales – and spend more time with grandsons Charlie and Samuel.

During his 12 years in Swindon Doug specialised in divorce, magistrates court, wills, conveyancy, wills and probation cases.

He lived in Royal Wootton Bassett with wife Mary, where children Benjamin, 39 and Rebecca, 36 were born. He now lives in Tetbury.

Doug spent his last years in the legal world as a consultant at Bevirs, which he rejoined in 2012.

Sonyia Woolnough, a partner at Bevirs’ Royal Wootton Bassett office, said: “Doug was a solicitor here when I started as a trainee solicitor in 1982 and was as lovely to work with then as he has been on his return 30 years later.

“Although we’ll be sad to see him leave us all, we know he has exciting plans for this next phase in his life.

“We have enjoyed welcoming him and his clients to Bevirs and we look forward to continuing to serving them with the same care and attention Doug did.”