The Elms and 2 Stratton Cottages AT THE busy junction of High Street, The Baulk, London Road, Dells Lane and Back Street stand five interesting buildings plus a sixth, long gone. Three of these, Camden House, Stratton House and The Red Lion, were feature

The Elms and 2 Stratton Cottages

AT THE busy junction of High Street, The Baulk, London Road, Dells Lane and Back Street stand five interesting buildings plus a sixth, long gone.

Three of these, Camden House, Stratton House and The Red Lion, were featured previously.

Another of these, The Elms was a Victorian House with extensive grounds that occupied a large site at the corner of London Road and Dells Lane.

It was demolished after the last owners Dr and Mrs Bridger died.

The site was sympathetically developed into a small estate of private houses.

Opposite these new homes, on the corner of Dells Lane and Back Street, stand The Retreat and Stratton Cottage.

The Retreat occupies an ancient timber framed cottage with a mansard roof, which is at least 300 years old.

Edward Newberry, carpenter, builder and later an undertaker was there from 1851.

In 1879 John Styles from Trowbridge moved there and in 1904 his workshop was burned to the ground.

He moved to 7-9 Stratton Street two years later.

By 1925 George Giddings was living in the house as agent for Tunnard Brothers Ltd, salesmen at Covent Garden, with a warehouse for goods in the yard.

He continued for many years and was followed by Derek Compton.

In 1991 Mr and Mrs Jesus Bello acquired the property and converted the warehouse into bed and breakfast accommodation.

It is now reinvented as Stratton Cottage.

The original Stratton Cottage at 2 High Street was offered for sale on May 20, 1874, containing a drawing room, a dining room with a trellis work veranda, a breakfast room, kitchen, four bedrooms, a dressing room and large box room.

Interestingly, also included were a large underground kitchen, scullery and larder. Outside there was a coach house, coal and wood barns, two closets and enclosed garden and lawn.

Henry Sandall, vicar of Dunton, lived there in 1851.

Chapman and Chaundler, solicitors, purchased it in 1885, becoming Chaundler and Son.

Alan Bennett took over the firm in 1949 merging with Balderston and Warren in 1975.

The carefully preserved property still exists today.

Next week following a request from a reader:

The Royal Oak and Mystery of the Tudor Tapestries.