downtonbuildings

Listing description: Board school, now primary school. 1895. Flemish bond brick with limestone dressings, tiled roof, brick stacks. E-plan. Single storey, ten windows. Projecting gable to left of centre has elliptical- arched doorway with 2-light mullioned window over, to left is 3-light mullioned and transomed window in Tudor-arched opening with traceried panel over in gable, with date 1895. To left and right are groups of sashes with pivot windows; the centre of each group has hipped gablet over. To right is projecting gable with groups of sashes with stone mullions and transoms. Stepped eaves course, saddleback coping to gables. Lead and cast-iron cylindrical vents to ridge of roof have conical cappings, brick stacks have good decorated pots. Octagonal limestone belfry over front door has traceried and chamfered openings and ogee roof with weather vane. Left and right returns have similar groups of sashes, with stone mullions and transoms to left return. To rear are three gabled wings with groups of tall sashes and pivot- windows, all with cambered flat arches and keystones, loop vents over. Covered yards between the wings have corrugated-iron arched roofs on cast- iron piers. Interior has planked doors and glazed sliding partitions between larger rooms. Partly exposed roof timbers on stone corbels. A good, unaltered example of a Board School, founded after the Elementary Education Act of 1870.

The school was built by the local School Board in 1895 on the site of an old paddock, and opened on 12 February 1896 with separate departments for boys and girls, and a separate room for the infants. The first headmaster was John George Northover, who had been the last headmaster at the British School (see entry under Memorial Hall, The Borough).

The school was transferred to Wiltshire County Council in 1903 and became known as Downton Council School. In 1936 the central part became the senior school. It remained an all age school until 1964 when the Secondary Modern school was built in Breamore Road. The children from the school in Barford Lane were transferred here and the school became a Church of England School at around the same time.

The school was used for the storage of food and coal supplies during World War One. A Boy’s Rabbit Club was started here in 1918 to aid food production and the school was also one of the venues for a mass village tea to celebrate the end of the war.

The playing field to the rear was the first home of Downton Bowling Club, established by Ralph Bentley.

Former Headmasters; Mr J G Northover; Mr Scott; Mr B C Dix; Mr Whitby; Mr R Offer.

3 Gravel Close (Rose Cottage)

A grade II listed building, upgraded from Grade III.

Listing description: Detached cottage. Late C17, C19 addition. Flemish bond brick, thatched roof, brick stack. Gable end to road, entrance at right angles to road. 2-storey, 2-window. C20 door in porch to left, 3-light, 2- light and C20 casements to right. First floor of C19 bay to left has one 2-light casement, two eyebrow dormers to right has 2-light casements. Right return has one C20 casement. Rear has C20 lean-to extension to ground floor. Left return has one 2-light casement.
Interior said to have chamfered beams with ogee stops.

Former occupiers: Reginald Paddock; Charles Saunders (1960s).

- Here is the junction with Long Close -

Reginald Paddock's coal yard was formerly located at this junction.

5 Gravel Close (Pajenda)

7/9 Gravel Close (Cobwebs)

A grade II listed building, upgraded from Grade III.

Listing description: Detached house, formerly 2 cottages. C17, C18, substantial C20 modification. Some timber framing with brick nogging, some brickwork; thatch roof. Original plan form not clear: a shallow depth property now with one large room to rebuilt fire opening in left, half- timbered section, smaller room, higher ceiling heights, in right, brick half. One storey and attics, 4 windows. Ground floor has two 2-light and one 3- light timber casements, the latter, to right of C20 plank door, set between blocked former window openings to fine splayed C18 brick voussoirs. Upper floor has two 2-light C19 wood casements to eyebrows, left, and two close-set similar to higher thatched eaves in right half. Brick stack to each gable end, slightly higher ridge to right half. Left gable rendered over framing, right gable brick. Rear is timber frame with brick nogging, small area of chalk block and some C17 brickwork; all C20 windows or doors, and a flat-roofed extension which is not of special interest. Interior much modified; right half has very heavy spine beam, mixture of C18 and C20 ceiling joists; left half has spine beam in two parts, propped by C20 post; left half with chamfer to run- out stops. Spine beams appear to be re- positioned, that to right formerly headed a partition. C20 stair. Roof structure not accessible, but heavy, rough purlins in left half, re-used from floor beams. The heavy framework to the left half, with diagonal struts, contains a mixture of Cl7, C18 and C19 brickwork.

Former Occupiers: Mr Burdock.

11 Gravel Close

Former Occupiers: Jack Sherwood.

15 Gravel Close

17 Gravel Close

19 Gravel Close

21 Gravel Close

23 Gravel Close

25 Gravel Close

27 Gravel Close (Corbie Lynn)

Former occupiers: James Gutridge (1964).

29 Gravel Close (Meadow Cottage)

31 Gravel Close

33 Gravel Close

Formerly known as Long Close View.

Former Occupiers: H A S Gaffyne LDS (Dental Surgeon) (1950s-1960s).

35 Gravel Close (Springfields)

37 Gravel Close (Avon Lea)

39 Gravel Close (The Kestrels)

41 Gravel Close (Barlings)

43/45 Gravel Close (Barlands)

47 Gravel Close

49 Gravel Close

49-55 (odds) Gravel Close are Longford Estate cottages, constructed in 1952 on the site of the old Downton FC football pitch.

51 Gravel Close

See 49 Gravel Close.

53 Gravel Close

See 49 Gravel Close.

55 Gravel Close

See 49 Gravel Close.

EAST SIDE (from junction with The Borough)

Rear access to 53 The Borough (see separate entry under The Borough)

2 Gravel Close (York House)

Former occupiers: Mrs Newman (1960s).

4 Gravel Close

Former Occupiers: Dennis Newman.

6 Gravel Close

8 Gravel Close

10 Gravel Close (Montana)

12 Gravel Close

14 Gravel Close

16 Gravel Close (Tegana)

18 Gravel Close (Tannery Cottage)

20 Gravel Close

Former Occupiers: 'Kruger' Compton.

22 Gravel Close

24 Gravel Close

26 Gravel Close

Downton Band Hall

Formerly a Baptist Chapel.

The earliest gatherings of Baptists in the Downton area seem to have taken place in the 1650s on the downs above Wick. These were held at night for fear of discovery and persecution. It is believed that some of these Baptists were returned religious exiles from Amsterdam, but by 1662 several Downton tradesmen, led by Peter Coles - a tanner, were among the local congregation.

Traditionally the date 1666 is quoted for the formal founding of the church in a cottage in Gravel Close, where later the chapel was built. This was unusual in that it was a General Baptist chapel and it became the centre for local Baptist groups. A new chapel was built in 1715. This was replaced by the current building in 1835, which remained in use until about 1939 when the congregation moved to join the South Lane congregation (see separate entry under Downton Baptist Church, South Lane).

The building was subsequently used as additional accommodation for the school in Gravel Close. In 1967 outline planning permission was granted for the conversion of the building to residential use, but this permission was never implemented and the site was later taken over by the Downton Band.

32 Gravel Close (Meadowside)

A grade II listed building.

Listing description: Detached house. Late C18, C19 alteration, early C20 front addition. Header bond brick, tiled roof, gable-end brick stacks. 2- storey, 3-window front. To right is early C20 single-storey entrance hall with door with hood and 4-light leaded casement, flat roof with moulded stone cornice, to left is C19 2-storey extension with 12-pane tripartite sashes and C20 windows, hipped tiled roof. Left return has two 12-pane sashes to first floor and single casement to attic. Right return has 5- light early C20 leaded casement. Rear has late C18 canted central porch with reeded pilasters and dentilled cornice, half-glazed doors, to either side are French windows in square bays. 3-brick plat band to first floor; three tripartite plate-glass sashes with keystones and flat arches. Cornice at eaves level, plain brick parapet with central pediment with lunette and ball finial. Coped verges to roof, flat-headed dormers with 2- light casements. Attached to rear left is late C19 conservatory. Interior has late C18 newel stairs with turned balusters, first floor fireplace with fluted frieze.

Former occupiers: Colonel Edwin W H de Bradley DSO MC (1935); Basil Charles Dix (1953-1964).

34 Gravel Close (Charvers)

Constructed on the site of an old stable block.