Until the 1950s there were only a handful of houses in Moot Lane, and none at all between Moot Farm and the railway bridge adjacent to what is now Cranbury Close. The lane was lined with tall banks and chestnut trees.

EAST SIDE (from junction with High Street)

Millenium Beacon

The beacon was erected in 2000 as part of Downton's millenium celebrations. The amenity space on which it was erected became available following the demolition of a pair of cottages to allow highway improvements at the junction with Lode Hill. The cottages had been a Grade II listed building.

Former occupiers of cottages: Mr Coppock; Mr Bailey.

1 Moot Lane (Moot Villa)

This property was formerly occupied by a shirt maker and later the midwife, Mrs Newman SRN.

Former occupier: Thomas Newman (1964).

The Moot (house)

Formerly known as Downton House.

A grade I listed building.

Listing description: House with attached kitchen range. c.1700, kitchen early C18. Flemish bond brick with vitrified headers and limestone dressings, tiled hipped roof, brick stacks with moulded cappings. 5 x 5 bays with extension. 2-storey with basement and attic, 5 windows. Basement has two 2-light recessed chamfered mullioned windows either side of 8 stone steps to central door. Centre bay breaks forward, with stone chamfered quoins and modillioned pediment over; door with 6 fielded panels in eared stone architrave with open segmental pediment on consoles, first floor has 12-pane sash in moulded stone architrave with apron and moulded sill. To sides are two flush 12-pane sashes to ground and first floors, with thick glazing bars, stone plat band to first floor. Coved eaves cornice. Lead downpipes. Three hipped dormers to roof. Right return has four 2-light leaded casement to basement and one ovolo-moulded casement. To left of ground and first floors are two blind windows, to right are three 12-pane sashes to both floors, plat band to first floor. Three hipped dormers. Left return has C20 door to right of centre with large,segmental porch on pairs of Tuscan columns, two 2-light basement casements to left. One blind window to right of ground and first floors, to left are two 12-pane sashes to both floors, plat band to first floor, 12- pane sash over door lighting stairs. To left is C18 bay with 8-pane sash to ground and first floors. Coved cornice, three hipped dormers. Rear has external stack with blocked windows to left, 1920s flat roofed extension with dated rain water head and sash, to right is return of kitchen range with leaded casements.
Interior fittings mostly date from after the fire of 1923 when Mr Squarey reconstructed the house interior, the two staircases are probably in original positions, the north one has vase turned balusters, the central stairs have barley sugar balusters and closed string, basement has stone bolection-moulded fireplace. The former laundry range, now kitchen is single storey with five 12-pane sashes, all with thick glazing bars, parapet with blind windows and ramped brick coping, rear has gabled tiled roof and 12-pane and 16-pane sashes. Attached to rear is garage with leaded casement and planked door, hipped dormer to tiled roof.

The following structures are grade II listed buildings in their own right:

Stables and coach house at The Moot
Listing description: Stables and coach house to rear of The Moot. C18. Flemish bond brick with vitrified headers to front, English bond to rear, tiled roof. Single storey and loft, three windows are 2-light casements. Tall planked door with strap hinges to right and smaller planked door to left. Hipped dormer with 2-light casement to roof with hip to left and half-hip to right attached, coach house to left has double doors and sliding door and one planked door, hipped tiled roof. To rear of stables is C19 extension, probably tack room. Interior not inspected.

Gate, gate piers and about 6 metres of wall to either side, to front of The Moot
Listing description: Gate, piers and attached walling to either side. C18. Wrought-iron and cast-iron gate with ornamental wrought-iron latch, overthrow and side panels. Square piers in stretcher bond brick with moulded limestone capping and ball finials. Attached Flemish bond brick walls with brick coping.

PEVSNER: ‘A very fine house of moderate size of c1700. Five by five bays; brick with stone quoins, also to the pedimented one-bay middle projection. Hipped roof. Doorway and window above it of stone. The doorway has an open segemental pediment, the window side volutes. The house was gutted by fire in 1927 (sic). Fine iron garden gate and a finer one yet, brought in, as the gate to the principal garden across the road. The railing is made from pieces of C18 staircase’.

According to previously published histories of the village, Charles I is supposed to have spent the night at Downton House on his way to joining his army in Oxfordshire in 1642, and to have persuaded the owner Sir Richard Shuckburgh to join his cause. I will let Ed Green explain why this cannot be true:

‘The first owners of Downton House were Coles, not Shuckburghs. The Shuckburghs did not move there until 100 years after this date, at which time they lived in Warwickshire. The property wasn't even built in 1642. It dates from 1690-1700. In the run up to the Battle of Edgehill, Charles I proceeded from Shrewsbury’.

On 1 November 1923 the house was gutted by fire, with only the laundry being saved. A maid, Gwendoline Burnham, jumped from an upstairs window in panic and landed on the cook, Mrs Annie Wilson, who was fatally injured.

Inherited by Charles William Shuckburgh in 1784 from William Coles, passed to William Pigott Shuckburgh and sold by Charles Stukely Shuckburgh to Mr Elias Pitts Squarey in 1864. Former occupiers: The Coles Family (17th-18th Century); The Shuckburgh Family (1784-19th Century); John Green (19th Century); Elias Pitts Squarey (1872- 1911); Mrs Lavinia Mary Squarey (1911- 1915); Mrs Lavinia Mary Carver (1915- 1924); John Kenneth Henderson (1935- 1964).

- Here is the junction with Saxonhurst -

Moot Farm Cottage

Former occupiers: Miss D Newton (1964).

Moot Farm

Formerly known as Thrings Farm.

Moot Farmhouse was formerly a Grade III listed building. Former listing description: C18.

Former occupiers: Edward Sant (1935); Sir Kenneth Grubb CMG (1964).

Teddy Bear Barn

A Grade II listed building, upgraded from Grade III.

Listing description: Barn and attached cartshed. C18. English bond brick barn, cartshed has flint and brick west wall, tiled half-hipped roofs to both. 5-bay barn and 3-bay cartshed attached to north on same axis. Barn has double doors in gabled porch to east side, C20 garage doors in opposing entry on west side, planked door to left, loft door to right return, the north bay is weatherboarded on timber-framing. Cartshed is open-fronted on east side, facing out of farm yard. Interior of barn has 5-bay roof with tie-beam and vertical struts to collar, clasped purlins. Cartshed has 3-bay roof with tie-beam and vertical struts to collar with clasped purlins. Both buildings rebuilt: Barn formerly timber-framed, cartshed rebuilt C19.

The Great Barn

A Grade II listed building, upgraded from Grade III.

Listing description: Barn and attached stable. Early C18. Barn is weatherboarded on timber frame with English bond brick footing, stable is English bond, both have half-hipped tiled roofs. 5 bay barn with south aisle. Hipped porch with double planked doors to north and south opposing gabled entries of barn. Stable is single-storey with loft, stable door with casement either side, planked loft door with gabled roof, right return has French windows, tiled roof. Interior of barn has 5 bay roof; tie-beam with raking struts to collar, clasped purlins. Interior of stable not inspected.

45 Moot Lane (accessed via track)

Former occupiers: Mr Sargent.

47 Moot Lane

49 Moot Lane

51 Moot Lane

53 Moot Lane

55 Moot Lane

57 Moot Lane

59 Moot Lane

61 Moot Lane

63 Moot Lane

- Here is a junction with Moot Close -

65 Moot Lane

67 Moot Lane

69 Moot Lane

71 Moot Lane

73 Moot Lane

75 Moot Lane

77 Moot Lane

79 Moot Lane

81 Moot Lane

- Here is a junction with Moot Close -

83 Moot Lane

85 Moot Lane

87 Moot Lane

89 Moot Lane

Bridge House (accessed via track)

New dwellings under construction adjacent to Bridge House(accessed via track)

- Here is the junction with Twynham Close -

91 Moot Lane

93 Moot Lane

1 Charlotte Cottages

1-3 Charlotte Cottages are built on the site of a demolished VG shop.

2 Charlotte Cottages

See 1 Charlotte Cottages.

3 Charlotte Cottages

See 1 Charlotte Cottages.

- Here is the junction with Downlands Close -

97 Moot Lane

99 Moot Lane

101 Moot Lane

103 Moot Lane

105 Moot Lane

107 Moot Lane

109 Moot Lane

111 Moot Lane

113 Moot Lane

115 Moot Lane

117 Moot Lane

119 Moot Lane

121 Moot Lane

123 Moot Lane

125 Moot Lane

127 Moot Lane

129 Moot Lane

131 Moot Lane

133 Moot Lane

135 Moot Lane

137 Moot Lane

139 Moot Lane

- Here is the junction with Cranbury Close -

Railway Bridge

Former Downton Brickyard

Although this site was located just within the parish of Redlynch, the ‘Downton’ brick was manufactured here.

The brickyard was the last of several that had existed in the Downton and Redlynch area. It was opened by Chas. Mitchell & Sons Ltd (whose offices were at the company’s sawmills in Lode Hill – see separate entry) in about 1935, and closed in 1991. Although it was re-opened in 1998 by the New Forest Brick Company, the yard was forced to close again in March 2000.

The Forest Edge residential development has now been built on the site.

WEST SIDE (from junction with High Street)

2 Moot Lane

Formerly known as Lorraine.

Former occupiers: Charles Stride (1950s-1960s).

Moot Lodge

The Moot (Ornamental Gardens)

The following structure is a grade II listed building:

Gate and gate piers to gardens opposite The Moot (house)
Listing description: Gate and gate piers. C18. Wrought and cast-iron gate with overthrow, ornamental latch and side panels, hung on square Flemish bond brick piers with moulded cappings; missing finials. Very similar to gate to front of The Moot (house). Formerly with attached dwarf walls and barley sugar baluster railings, illustrated in Country Life and now removed, at the entrance to formerly fine landscaped gardens on the site of C12 Motte and Bailey.

A now demolished temple was formerly a grade I listed building (former listing description: C18, octagonal. Fluted Doric columns on plinths supporting entablature, with triglyph frieze, and domed roof. Solid centre with seats and coved ceiling).

PEVSNER: ‘The garden was made by taking advantage of an earthwork. The earthworks, traditionally associated with the meeting place of the moots, are those of a large motte and bailey castle of Norman date, built by the Bishops of Winchester. Thus a dell was created and two mounds, ascended by steep paths.On one of them a hexagonal C18 temple, i.e. Roman Doric columns, metope frieze, dome. Six seats and ornamental cobble floor. View down the mound and down a number of ancient terraces supposedly used for the moots. Also view to the W to the lily pond and the Avon’.

Bishop Blois was said to have built a castle in Downton in 1138. The Moot seems to be the most likely site to have been a motte and bailey castle, although no traces of masonry have been found so it is unlikely that any permanent structure was built.

During late Victorian and Edwardian summers, the Moot was used for a number of fundraising fetes and bazaars. The events lasted for up to three days at a time, special trains were laid on to and from Salisbury and up to 3000 people attended. As well as the usual stalls, dances and fireworks, the events also included open-air performances of Shakespeare. Sybil Thorndike played Adriana in ‘A Comedy Of Errors’ here in 1908.

On 18 August 1919 at The Moot, Battery Sergeant Major William Newman of the Royal Field Artillery was formally presented with the Distinguished Conduct Medal and Military Medal by Brigadier General the Earl of Radnor, for his actions at Ypres a year earlier.

In July 1993 The Moot was used to stage a Pageant celebrating the history of the village.

Downton Surgery

Recreation Ground

52 Moot Lane

54 Moot Lane

56 Moot Lane

58 Moot Lane

- Here is the junction with Castle Meadow -

60 Moot Lane

62 Moot Lane

64 Moot Lane

66 Moot Lane

68 Moot Lane

70 Moot Lane

72 Moot Lane

74 Moot Lane

- Here is the junction with Roman Meadow -

76 Moot Lane

78 Moot Lane

80 Moot Lane

82 Moot Lane

84 Moot Lane

86 Moot Lane

88 Moot Lane

90 Moot Lane

92 Moot Lane

94 Moot Lane

96 Moot Lane

98 Moot Lane

- Here is a junction with Moot Gardens -

Electricity Sub-Station

100 Moot Lane

102 Moot Lane

104 Moot Lane

106 Moot Lane

108 Moot Lane

110 Moot Lane

112 Moot Lane

114 Moot Lane

116 Moot Lane

116A Moot Lane

118 Moot Lane

- Here is a junction with Moot Gardens -

120 Moot Lane

Meadow View

Former occupiers: James Summers (Smallholder) (1935-1953).

Sewage Works

Railway Bridge

Pile Bridge

Pile Bridge carried the old railway line across the River Avon, where it passed through the fields to the south of Moot Lane.

On Tuesday 3 June 1884, the 4.50pm train from Downton had just crossed Pile Bridge when its middle carriage left the rails. Seven carriages crashed into the adjacent meadow and three were smashed to pieces - two of them having fallen into the river. The Agricultural College (see entry under Breamore Road) used the fields and meadows around the bridge, and staff and students were fortunately on hand to assist the injured.

Thirty people were injured and five were killed, including the daughter of the station master at Fordingbridge. The incident is known as The Downton Rail Crash - but here’s a secret for you – it happened in the parish of North Charford (now part of Breamore).

Many years later it was found that Pile Bridge itself had become unsafe. The improvement works cost thousands of pounds and took two years to complete. Just in time for the closure of the railway…

Archfield