Lost Properties of Stourton Caundle
Setting the Scene 1900- 1920
1. 1920 Ordinance Survey Map
The population of the parish had fallen from a peak of four hundred and fifty in 1850 to only two hundred and thirty four in 1900.
This was mainly due to the depression in agriculture, upon which village prosperity depended. There was a movement of inhabitants away from the parish to the towns, to seek employment and improved living conditions.
Of the seventy-nine properties standing in 1900, twelve were unoccupied. Most of the tenanted properties were in a poor state of repair, with no maintenance work carried out to the fabric of the buildings, especially the repair or replacement of leaking thatched roofs.
The first parish meeting the forerunner of today’s parish council had been convened in the December of 1894. The parish meeting took over the responsibility for the running parish affairs from the vestry meeting the officers being the vicar and the Churchwardens. The responsibilities of the parish meeting included the appointment of an overseer for the poor, the upkeep of footpaths and stiles, the provision of allotment land, and the maintenance of public water pumps and public wells.
1. 1920 Ordinance Survey Map
The population of the parish had fallen from a peak of four hundred and fifty in 1850 to only two hundred and thirty four in 1900.
This was mainly due to the depression in agriculture, upon which village prosperity depended. There was a movement of inhabitants away from the parish to the towns, to seek employment and improved living conditions.
Of the seventy-nine properties standing in 1900, twelve were unoccupied. Most of the tenanted properties were in a poor state of repair, with no maintenance work carried out to the fabric of the buildings, especially the repair or replacement of leaking thatched roofs.
The first parish meeting the forerunner of today’s parish council had been convened in the December of 1894. The parish meeting took over the responsibility for the running parish affairs from the vestry meeting the officers being the vicar and the Churchwardens. The responsibilities of the parish meeting included the appointment of an overseer for the poor, the upkeep of footpaths and stiles, the provision of allotment land, and the maintenance of public water pumps and public wells.
1. 1920 Ordinance Survey Map
2. In 1902 the restoration of St Peters Church had just been completed together with the construction of a
3. new vicarage at Jubilee Oak paid for by public subscription as the result of an appeal led by the churchwardens at the time Mr Albin Harris (Brunsells Farm) and Mr Samuel Rice (Newleaze Farm) a generous donation by the Lord of the Manor Sir Henry Hoare.
3. new vicarage at Jubilee Oak paid for by public subscription as the result of an appeal led by the churchwardens at the time Mr Albin Harris (Brunsells Farm) and Mr Samuel Rice (Newleaze Farm) a generous donation by the Lord of the Manor Sir Henry Hoare.
4. The main events in the social calendar were the annual parade through the village of the Friendly Society on Oak apple day, May 29th to commemorate the return of King Charles the throne in 1660.followed by tea and dancing in the tithe barn at Court Barton. The banners were carried at the head of the procession with the remains of the surviving banner rescued from the hut fire framed and mounted in the village hall. And the annual village outing in the early years of the century this entailed a ride to Stalbridge station on a horse drawn farm cart to catch a train to a seaside destination. In the 1920s a fleet of charabancs were hired from A Mr Seager of Sherborne the usual destination being Weymouth with the selected route the Piddle Valley.
5. Most of the land and property in the village was still owned by the Stourhead Estate. Sir Henry Hoare was the Lord of the Manor. The estate dispersal sale was held at the Digby Hotel Sherborne on the 11th July 1911, with a second sale on the 16th June 1918 at the assembly rooms at Bruton including Manor Farm which failed to make its reserve price in 1911
6. Land and properties not in estate ownership included Haddon Lodge and Cockhill Farm owned by the Serrell Family. Construction of Haddon Loge had been completed in 1861, prior to this date the Serrell family had lived in a property behind the high stone wall opposite the church, with Vealles Cottage as the gardener’s residence.
7. Other property in private ownership, prior to 1911, included an alehouse and smallholding at Gwyers owned by the Stokes family. And 8 the Trooper Inn, predominately a cider house with an adjoining paddock, and a single field off of Rowden Mill Lane providing grazing for the horses, used for haulage contracts, including the collection of coal from Stalbridge station. The freehold of the Trooper had been purchased by the purchased by Mathews Brewery at Gillingham in 1894 and the tenants were Walter and Charlotte (Lottie), Green.
The surviving properties with their thatched roofs intact
Only four properties have survived with their thatched roofs intact. The front elevations of all four have changed little during the course of the Century, although all have been extensively modernised and extended.
9. Barley Close, formerly named Laurel Bank, was until 1935 the residence of Samuel Rice, who farmed both Newleaze and Higher Woodrow Farms.
10. Trooper Cottage has been sympathetically restored and modernised, losing none of its special character, and is an outstanding example of an English country cottage.
11. Golden Hill Cottage-was purchased by Walter Hayes at the 1911 dispersal sale. He was the village baker, and the bake house now known as Daisy Cottage was situated directly opposite the property.
12. Grange Cottage-was purchased by the sitting tenant Mr Mr James Walden at the 1911 sale. He was the village carpenter, wheelwright and undertaker, with a workshop adjacent to the cottage, which has now been converted to single storey living accommodation
Lost properties
13. Drove Road, adjoining Corner Cottage (x2 one attached one detached)
14. The middle section of The Cottage at the corner of Cat Lane was originally the right hand side of a terrace of three cottages, the other two being demolished in the late 1940s.
15. A terrace of three cottages to the north of Berry Cottage, were destroyed by fire in 1920. The gable end is visible to the north of Berry Cottage.
16. A terrace of six properties including a Reading Room and the School House, The Reading Room which was later used as a workshop by Jimmy Lambert, for the repair of boots and shoes.
17. A Pair of thatched cottages at the Pound, later converted to a single cottage, and demolished in 1970 for the erection of two bungalows Anvil Cottage and Barton Gate.
18. The cottage adjoining Emmerdale destroyed in the 1929 fire, the remaining shell of the building was converted to a single storey workshop, which also served as a part time barbers shop.
19. A cottage at Golden Hill where Wagtails is now located, which was demolished in the 1930s. The boundary wall still remains.
20. Chaldicott’s shop at Golden Hill demolished in 1936, after falling into a state of disrepair. The site was left vacant and overgrown until 1964, when John Ashford purchased the site for the construction of Hilltop.
21. Pophams a single thatched cottage demolished in the late 1930s. Prior to demolition, and while still occupied the front of the building was supported by temporary wooden buttresses, to prevent it from collapse.
22. Goldsneys a pair of thatched cottage’s, were condemned as unfit for human habitation in the late 1930s. They were used as the headquarters for the Homeguard during the war years, and demolished in 1946 to make way for a pair of Council houses.
23. Barrow Hill farmhouse was demolished in 1963, after falling into a state of disrepair, and remaining empty and derelict for several years.
A cottage at Rowden Mill Lane where the bungalow known as Greenway now stands.
A cottage at Rowden Mill Lane where the bungalow known as Greenway now stands.
Non residential properties with a thatched roof
24. Downs Barton at Golden Hill, formerly known as Dowdings Barton, was demolished in 1974 for the construction of Wagtails.
Other lost non residential properties
25. Included the Smithy at the Pound
26. The Tithe Barn at Court Barton was destroyed by fire in 1964, the fire being caused by children playing with matches in the hay.
Surviving residential properties without their thatched roofs
Twelve surviving properties have lost their thatched roofs during the course of the Century. Four of these were as the direct result of fire.
27. Sunray Cottages, formerly named Chapel Row, were destroyed by fire in the April of 1929.
The residents of neighbouring properties were aroused from their sleep, amid fears that the fire would spread, especially after a large beam had crashed to the floor within the blazing building.
The Fire Brigade arrived from Sturminster Newton, and pumped water from Court Barton pond to fight the fire.
The residents of neighbouring properties were aroused from their sleep, amid fears that the fire would spread, especially after a large beam had crashed to the floor within the blazing building.
The Fire Brigade arrived from Sturminster Newton, and pumped water from Court Barton pond to fight the fire.
28. Burgess now known as Fourways was destroyed by fire in the April of 1952. I can vividly remember as a young boy, seeing the flames leaping out of the thatch roof, towards the sky. The cottage was later rebuilt as a single storey dwelling with a tiled roof.
29. At the time of the 1953 fire, Corner Cottage was the residence of Miss Dutton, who the Headmistress at the Village Primary School. It was subsequently rebuilt with a tiled roof.
30. Following the 1929 fire at Chapel Row, the thatch was removed from numbers one and two Bridge Cottages, originally built as a terrace of four cottages, with each pair sharing a front entrance door. Their was a separate door for each cottage either side of the front entrance porch, and separate stairways rising to the first floor, from the front living rooms.
31. Melway lost its thatch roof after falling into a state of disrepair, remaining empty and derelict for several years, it was rebuilt in the late 1950s and converted to a chalet bungalow.
32. The thatched roof at The Dairy House was replaced with tiles in 1924, the property also being extended with the addition of the north wing. It was until 1970 the residence of the Dairyman for Manor Farm.
33. The thatch roof at The Old Post House was replaced in 1968, the condition of the roof having declined to a point of almost total collapse, due to rotten roof timbers. The Old Post House served as the Shop and Post Office until 1954.
34. The thatched roof to The Old Vicarage was replaced in 1970.
35. Vectis, and the Rosary both situated in Cat Lane, have also had their thatched roofs replaced.
Other surviving pre 20th century properties
36. Gwyers constructed in the early 17th Century, and named after the Guyer family. It became an Alehouse in the 19th Century, and was owned by the Stokes family until its closure in 1935.
37. Hannsfield named after the Hann family, was the home in the 1970s of Mr Blades, who continued the research of the ancient history of the village, and published Stourton Caundle the History of a Dorset Village.
38. Berry Cottage was condemned as unfit for human habitation in the mid 1930s. The cottage was saved from demolition, and renovated by the local builder Mr Frank Cook. The canopy over the front porch still survives.
39. Vealles Cottage was the residence of the gardener for Haddon Lodge. This photograph was taken in 1970 from the church tower. An extension has since been added to the southern side.
40. The Retreat dates from the early 17th Century, and was the farmhouse for Church Farm, before its amalgamation with Brunsells Farm.
41. Brunsells farmhouse
42. Newleaze Farmhouse
43. Emmerdale
44. Yew Tree Cottage was the residence for many years for Mr and Mrs Horace Parsons. Mr Parsons used a Workshop opposite the cottage for the repair of domestic electrical appliances and wireless sets.
45. The outside appearance of Manor farmhouse has changed little during the 20th Century. The garden wall had been removed prior to the 1911 estate sale.
46. Myrtle cottage was the residence for many years of the Priddle family. Fred Priddle milked a small herd of cows in a stall at the rear of Gwyers following the retirement of the Stokes sisters in 1935.
47. Golden Hill House was the home of the local builder Frank Cook.
48. Walter Hayes purchased Hayes Cottage at the 1911 sale, for a sum of £198-00.
49. The Old Forge formerly named Woodville was the home of Jo Walden
50. Triangle Cottages
51. The former estate cottages at Pot Knap, situated to the east of Cat Lane Bridge now known as Brook Cottage and
52. Larkrise in Cat Lane
52. Larkrise in Cat Lane
53. Barley Cottage located to the rear of Barley Close
54. The Trooper Inn
The Stable Bar at the rear of the inn provided accommodation for the horses used on haulage contracts and also housed a cider press.
The Stable Bar at the rear of the inn provided accommodation for the horses used on haulage contracts and also housed a cider press.
Surviving pre 20th Century non residential properties
55. The Congregationalist chapel
56. School
57. The Tithe Barn at Newleaze Farm
58. The Chapel Barn
Phil Knott
