Ashton Gifford House, front view taken from the north west corner of the property, looking back at the northern facade of the house

Ashton Gifford House is a Grade II listed building in the hamlet of Ashton Gifford^[1], Codford in the British county of Wiltshire. The house was built during the early 19th century, following the precepts of traditional Georgian architecture. The estate replaced the tything of Ashton Gifford. The house sits in the Wylye valley, an area of outstanding natural beauty. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 2. ... The Forth Bridge, designed by Sir Benjamin Baker and Sir John Fowler, opened in 1890, and now owned by Network Rail, is designated as a Category A listed building by Historic Scotland. ... A hamlet is (usually — see below) a small settlement, too small or unimportant to be considered a village. ... Codford is a small village located to the south of Salisbury Plain in the Wylye Valley in Wiltshire, England at grid reference ST970397. ... Wiltshire (abbreviated Wilts) is a large southern English county. ... A Georgian house in Salisbury For the unrelated architecture of the country Georgia, see Architecture of Georgia (country). ... The River Wylye is a tributary of the River Avon in Wiltshire. ... An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is an area of countryside with significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government...

The 1773 version of Andrews' and Durys' map of Wiltshire refers to the hamlet of Ashton Gifford as "Isherton".^[2] This map predates the building of the house, as there is no depiction of a building of the size of the Georgian elements of the current property. It does show a number of houses forming the tything or hamlet of Ashton Gifford, which were subsequently removed in order to create the park for the house.^[3]

Ashton Gifford in the Domesday Book

Ashton Gifford is covered in the Domesday Book, listed as land belonging to Humphrey de l'Isle ^[4]. The land was held by Robert, previously (under King Edward) having been held by Cynewig. Ashton Gifford was a relatively prosperous estate, valued at six pounds (from four pounds in 1066). The estate consisted of 12 acres of meadow, and pasture "6 furlongs long and as much broad". A line drawing entitled Domesday Book from Andrew Williamss Historic Byways and Highways of Old England. ...

The site of the Anglo Saxon settlement can be seen in the field to the south of the current Ashton Gifford House, where different patches of colour in the earth indicate the presence of Anglo Saxon houses. For other uses, see Anglo-Saxon. ...

The enclosure of Ashton Gifford

An Act of Enclosure was passed for the "Tything of Ashton Gifford, in the Parish of Codford Saint Peter" on 27 May 1814.^[5] This allowed for the enclosure of lands in the hamlet, naming William Hubbard Esq., William Hinton Esq., and Sarah Bingham Spinster as the owners under the Lord of the Manor of Codford St Peter (Harry Biggs Esq.). Three "gentlemen" were appointed Commissioners for the enclosure: John Hayward of Rowde, John Rogers of Burcombe and Ambrose Patient of Corton. The Commissioners were instructed to meet at "a certain House called the George Inn in Codford Saint Peter aforesaid". The George still exists, as the George Hotel, in Codford High Street, though it was rebuilt in the later 19th century. For other uses, see Enclosure (disambiguation). ... The title of Lord of the Manor arose in the English medieval system of Manorialism following the Norman Conquest. ... Rowde is a village and civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire. ... Burcombe is a village and (by the name of Burcombe Without) a civil parish in the Salisbury district of Wiltshire, England. ... Codford is a small village located to the south of Salisbury Plain in the Wylye Valley in Wiltshire, England at grid reference ST970397. ... Codford is a small village located to the south of Salisbury Plain in the Wylye Valley in Wiltshire, England at grid reference ST970397. ...

Construction of Ashton Gifford House

Ashton Gifford House, south facade (taken from the south west looking back at the house) showing the central portion with three stories, and the east and west wings of two stories

The house appears to have been constructed in two stages. The central part (of three stories) has thick walls which would have served for external walls, and which now lie in between the central portion and the east and west wings of the property. It is surmised that this part of the property was constructed some time around 1806 by Benjamin Rebbeck, who had purchased the property from the estate of the Earl of Shrewsbury.^[6] He lost the house to the mortgage holder in 1815 as a result of his spiralling debts (for which Rebbeck was imprisoned in 1818), and the mortgage holder (William Hubbard, mentioned in the enclosure of Ashton Gifford) added the two ashlar wings.^[7] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,592 × 1,944 pixels, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,592 × 1,944 pixels, file size: 2. ... The Earl of Shrewsbury is the senior Earl on the Roll in the Peerage of England (the more senior Earldom of Arundel being held by the Duke of Norfolk). ...

The walled garden, which appears to have been constructed around this time, and which is still a part of the property, lies to the west of the current house. It has been described as the largest in the county (at 1.3 acres).^[8]. It was in active use as a vegetable garden as recently as the 1980s, when the house was a school (see below). ^[9] This article is about the walled garden in its original horticultural sense. ...

Architecture of Ashton Gifford House

English Heritage, in their Images of England section ^[10]describe the property as having a limestone ashlar front with side walls of brick. The property is three-storied, with a three-window central block breaking forward and two-storey same-height side-bays. The main entrance is a Distyle in antis Tuscan portico to the centre with inserted double half-glazed doors and flanking tripartite sashes, an inner main door with 6 fielded panels, fanlights and flanking margin-pane round-arched sashes with interlaced glazing bars. The ground floor of centre block has rusticated stonework. The first floor has three 9-pane sashes, and the second floor has a plat band and three 6-pane sashes. The two-storey side-bays have 8-pane margin sashes and a plat band. At the roof level there is a moulded cornice to the plain stone parapet with twentieth century pineapple decorations. The standard of English Heritage English Heritage is a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) with a broad remit of managing the historic environment of England. ... Ashlar is dressed stone work of any type of stone. ... Look up Appendix:Architectural glossary in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An anta (pl. ... Categories: Architectural elements | Stub ... For other uses of Rustication, see Rustication (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Geison. ... A parapet is a barrier at the edge of a roof or structure to prevent persons or vehicles from falling over the edge. ...

At the rear of the property there are two central bays which break forward with 12-pane sashes to ground floor, 9-pane to first and 6-pane sashes to second floor, side-bays have 8-pane margin sashes to ground and first floors. The interior features of the property that are highlighted by English Heritage include the central entrance hall with an oval open-well staircase (which has a continuous handrail and cast-iron balusters). Also noted are the presence of period doors, of six-panelled design, in panelled reveals and moulded architraves, and the existence of period window shutters. On the ground floor, the drawing room has a scrolled plaster ceiling margin and a fireplace, which are singled out for special mention. The standard of English Heritage English Heritage is a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) with a broad remit of managing the historic environment of England. ... A page of fanciful balusters from A Handbook of Ornament, Franz S. Meyer, 1898 A baluster (through the French balustre, from Italian balaustro, from balaustra, pomegranate flower [from a resemblance to the post], from Lat. ... Reveal: Door frame example In carpentry, a reveal is a feature resembling a rabbet, but constructed of separate pieces of wood. ... The architrave is the lintel or beam that rests on the capitals of the columns. ...

Ashton Gifford during the nineteenth century

William Hubbard, having completed the building of Ashton Gifford House some time between 1815 and 1824, eventually occupied it and remained in residence until 1836.^[11][12] The house was then sold to Wadham Locke, who at the time of the 1841 census was living at Ashton Gifford House with his wide Caroline and daughter Charlotte.^[13] In 1844 Locke married for a second time. His new wife, Albinia, was the daughter of the landowner John Dalton (of Keningford Hall, Yorkshire and Fillingham Castle, Lincolnshire).^[14] Locke was formerly an officer in the first Dragoon Guards, and went on to become High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1847^[15] (he was occasionally described as being of "Ashton Giffard", the alternative spelling of the locale). Wadham Locke was a huntsman, purchasing a pack of foxhounds for "two seasons" from a Mr Morrell, before selling them to Sir John Cam Hobhouse (later Lord Broughton).^[16] An account of hare coursing on the Ashton Gifford estate is given in the "Sporting Review" of 1840.^[17] Locke's father, also Wadham Locke (of Rowde Ford House),^[18] had been High Sheriff in 1804 and was Member of Parliament for Devizes in 1832.^[19]. Wadham Locke I was the senior partner in the banking company of Locke, Hughes and Co of Devizes.^[20]. Wadham Locke II's youngest sister (Wadham Locke I's youngest daughter) became Frances Isabella Duberly, who achieved notoriety for her presence with the army at the front line of the Crimean War. After her mother's death in 1838, she had lived with her brother at Ashton Gifford, until her marriage in 1845^[21] Fillingham is a village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. ... Dragoon guards was, in some armies, particularly the British Army, the designation used to refer to heavy cavalry regiments from the 18th century onwards. ... This is a list of High Sheriffs of Wiltshire. ... John Cam Hobhouse, 1st Baron Broughton and 2nd Baronet, PC (1786–1869) was the eldest son of Sir Benjamin Hobhouse, born at Redland near Bristol, educated at Westminster School and at Cambridge, where he became intimate with Lord Byron, and accompanied him in his journeys in the Peninsula, Greece... , Devizes is a town and civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire. ... Captain and Mrs Duberly photographed in the Crimea by Roger Fenton in 1855 Fanny Duberly was an adventurous soldier’s wife from the Crimean War and Sepoy Mutiny. ... Combatants Allies: Second French Empire British Empire Ottoman Empire Kingdom of Sardinia Russian Empire Bulgarian volunteers Casualties 90,000 French 35,000 Turkish 17,500 British 2,194 Sardinian killed, wounded and died of disease ~134,000 killed, wounded and died of disease The Crimean War (1853–1856) was fought...

In the mid 1800s there were some significant modifications to the property undertaken. The owners added a service wing to the western side of in the house, running between from the original Georgian structure towards the walled garden. This wing contained the kitchens for the house (two in number), two dairies, pantries and store rooms, and servants' accommodation.^[22]. This article is about the walled garden in its original horticultural sense. ...

The Ravenhill family occupied Ashton Gifford House (sometimes known as Ashton House at this stage) from 1850 until the 1870s.^[23][24] John Ravenhill was a magistrate and a banker, the Chairman of the North Wiltshire Banking Company ^[25]. He served as the first Chairman of the Warminster Board of Guardians. He was also a member of the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society ^[26]. His eldest son, John Richard Ravenhill (1824-1894) was Deputy Lieutenant of Wiltshire, and (in 1870) High Sheriff of Wiltshire. The third son was the Reverend Canon Henry Everett Ravenhill^[27]. The fifth son, William Waldon Ravenhill, was a lawyer (called to the bar in April 1862).^[28]The family were actively involved in the Codford St Peter School^[29], with John Ravenhill providing much of the funding.^[30] The Deputy Lieutenant is the deputy to the Lord Lieutenant of a county. ... This is a list of High Sheriffs of Wiltshire. ...

In the 1881 the house was occupied by George Clement, a race horse trainer,^[31] along with his family. By 1882, however, the house was in the hands of Thomas Harding, a farmer, who was still there in 1913.^[32][33][34]. The establishment was somewhat reduced under Harding. While the Ravenhills had run the house with six indoor servants (in addition to the gardening, coach and farm staff), Harding had only three servants in the house.

The sale of 1920

The "Ashton Gifford Estate" was put up for sale by auction in 1920, on the "order of Captain H. N. Fane".^[35] Rawlence and Squarey were the auctioneers, and the auction took place at the White Hart Hotel, Salisbury on 1 June.^[36] The house was described at this time as having sixteen bedrooms and dressing rooms and the "usual offices". The dining room (now kitchen) and drawing room did not have the French doors to the south terrace that they currently have.^[37] The estate included a bailiff's house, two lodges and two additional cottages and was described as "an attractive gentleman's residence. For other uses, see Salisbury (disambiguation). ... Bailiff (from Late Latin bajulivus, adjectival form of bajulus) is a governor or custodian (cf. ...

The estate, of sixty acres, included the "home farm", which was described as "grass and meadowland, lying in a ring fence". The proximity of Codford station (on the Great Western Railway line) and the post and telegraph office are highlighted in the advertisement for sale. Codford is a small village located to the south of Salisbury Plain in the Wylye Valley in Wiltshire, England at grid reference ST970397. ... The original Bristol Temple Meads station, first terminus of the GWR, is the building to the left of this picture The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company, linking South West England, the West Country and South Wales with London. ...

The 1930s and Lord Headley

By 1929 the house and land were auctioned by again, this time by Constable and Maude of London.^[38] The agents had attempted to sell the property beforehand, offering the house and land at £4,500 before going to auction "at a low reserve".^[39]The property was described as a "Residential and Sporting Estate", and at the time comprised sixty acres of park land. There was an ornamental lake, woodland, parkland and pasture, and a variety of estate buildings. The auction lot included stabling and garages (in the two former coach houses, which were advertised as accommodating up to six cars). There were also two lodge buildings: a main entrance lodge to the north east of the property (on the Codford High Street), and a "Station Lodge" with a thatched roof at the end of the south west drive, near the (now disused) Codford station. The station was in fact part of the Ashton Gifford hamlet, some way to the south of Codford. Thatching is the art or craft of covering a roof with vegetative materials such as straw, reed or sedge. ... Codford is a small village located to the south of Salisbury Plain in the Wylye Valley in Wiltshire, England at grid reference ST970397. ... Codford is a small village located to the south of Salisbury Plain in the Wylye Valley in Wiltshire, England at grid reference ST970397. ...

The estate was advertised as possessing a wide range of farm buildings, and a bailiff's farm house. The bailiff's accommodation was substantial, with three reception rooms in addition to the kitchen. Bailiff (from Late Latin bajulivus, adjectival form of bajulus) is a governor or custodian (cf. ... Bailiff (from Late Latin bajulivus, adjectival form of bajulus) is a governor or custodian (cf. ...

Ashton Gifford House itself was described as having twelve bedrooms and dressing rooms - though there was only one bathroom servicing the main house (on the first floor) with a ground floor "Gentleman's W.C.". There were separate (outside) facilities for the servants. On the ground floor of the property, along with the "Gentleman's W.C.", there was an entrance hall, dining room, library, and two sitting rooms. At this time the external front door to the house was positioned in the most easterly of the three bays of the entrance portico. The doorway was subsequently repositioned in the central bay, restoring the symmetrical appearance of the front of the house. The Georgian portion of the house had, at this time, additional chimney stacks - two on the eastern and two on the western outer walls, servicing the upper floors of the property. These four stacks were removed later, and only the four central chimney stacks remain. The pineapple roof decoration had yet to be added at this stage, and the roof was pitched throughout (currently only the central part of the roof is pitched, with the east and west wings having flat roofs).

The house was occupied in the early 1930s (until his death) by the Irish peer Lord Headley - Rowland Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron Headley.^[40]. Lord Headley is sometimes referred to as the first Muslim peer of Britain (a misnomer, as he was actually the second). He was President of the British Muslim Society, and died in 1935.^[41] Lord Headley's widow, Lady Catherine Headley, continued living at Ashton Gifford House until 1940.^[42] Rowland George Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron Headley (London, January 19, 1855 – June 22, 1935, London), also known as Shaikh Rahmatullah al-Farooq, was a British soldier and peer and a prominent convert to Islam. ...

Ashton Gifford House as a school

In 1940 Greenways Preparatory School was evacuated from Bognor Regis, Sussex to Ashton Gifford House, and the property became a school.^[43]. The poet Adrian Mitchell attending the school (which was run by Vivien Hancock, a friend of his mother) during the 1940s.^[44]The poet Siegfried Sassoon's son, George, also attended Greenways in mid 1940s. The school was a conveniently short distance from Heytesbury, where Sassoon lived. Siegried Sassoon was a close friend of Vivien Hancock (giving her a present of a horse when her own died). Sassoon's wife, Hester, accused Sassoon and Hancock of being "too close" in 1945, and Vivien Hancock eventually threatened legal action against her. Vivien's own son, Anthony, was killed (aged 21) in 1945 on the Western Front in France. When Vivien Hancock needed money to purchase the school outright, it was Sassoon who lent it to her (and who then waived the low rate of interest when Vivien Hancock had difficulty meeting it). ^[45] , Bognor Regis is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. ... This article refers to the historic county in England. ... Adrian Mitchell (born 1932) is a British poet and dramatist. ... Siegfried Loraine Sassoon, CBE MC (8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967) was an English poet and author. ... George Thornycroft Sassoon (October 30, 1936 - March 8, 2006) was a British scientist and author, the only child of Siegfried Sassoon. ... Heytesbury is a village in Wiltshire, United Kingdom, in the Wylye Valley. ...

Around 1942 the British artist Keith Vaughan was stationed with the Royal Pioneer Corps in Codford, and painted "The Wall at Ashton Gifford" (now in the possession of the Manchester Art Gallery).^[46] Keith Vaughan's "The Working Party", drawn in 1942, has also been tentatively set at Ashton Gifford ^[47] Keith Vaughan (b 23 August 1912 at Selsey; d 4 November 1977 in London), was an English painter. ... The Royal Pioneer Corps was a British Army combattant corps used for light engineering tasks. ...

There was a fire at Ashton Gifford House during the 1950s which partially destroyed the Victorian era service wing of the property. Greenaways School remained in possession until the late 1960s, when the school closed. Ashton Gifford House later became a school for boys with behavioural problems (trading as Ashton Gifford School in the 1980s) until finally closing as a school in 1989.

There were attempts to have the property's use changed to that of a private residence in the 1970s (which were rejected by the planning authorities)^[48], and the estate buildings were gradually sold for conversion into accommodation (including the stable block). A large proportion of the land was sold in 1982.

Between 1989 and 1992 the property was owned by a charitable trust, with the aim of providing education.

Reversion to private dwelling

In 1992 Ashton Gifford House was sold, and planning permission was granted to convert it back to a private residence. The Codford by-pass (the A36 road) was built through the northern-most part of the property in the mid-1990s, shortening the drive. (George Sassoon was to unsuccessfully fight a similar encroachment of his father's estate at Heytesbury). This required some of the agricultural land and woodland to be sold to the Department of Transport. The main drive for Ashton Gifford House now emerges onto Sherrington Lane, to the east of the property. By 1992, the farm buildings and lodges had been sold as private dwellings, and the land associated with the house was reduced to some 10.5 acres. Codford is a small village located to the south of Salisbury Plain in the Wylye Valley in Wiltshire, England at grid reference ST970397. ... The A36 is a trunk road in the UK that links the port city of Southampton to the city of Bath. ... George Thornycroft Sassoon (October 30, 1936 - March 8, 2006) was a British scientist and author, the only child of Siegfried Sassoon. ... Heytesbury is a village in Wiltshire, United Kingdom, in the Wylye Valley. ...

References

1. ^ grid reference ST961401
2. ^ Wiltshire County Council Community History Codford map
3. ^ "Codford: Wool and War in Wiltshire", John Chandler, Phillimore 2007"
4. ^ "The Domesday Book www.nationalarchives.gov.uk"
5. ^ "An act for inclosing Lands in the Tything of Ashton Gifford, in the Parish of Codford Saint Peter, in the county of Wilts.
6. ^ The Lord of the Manor of Ashton Gifford was held by the earls of Shrewsbury until this sale in 1806, at which point the lordship dissipates
7. ^ "Codford: Wool and War in Wiltshire", John Chandler, Phillimore 2007"
8. ^ West Wiltshire District Council heritage
9. ^ Skyviews aerial photographs
10. ^ Images of England listing
11. ^ "Codford: Wool and War in Wiltshire", John Chandler, Phillimore 2007"
12. ^ William Hubbard was listed as living at Ashton Gifford in the "Dorset Natural history and Archaeological Society" proceedings of 1821
13. ^ 1841 UK Census
14. ^ "The Gentleman's Magazine" 1844. Albinia was the fourth daughter of John Dalton. The marriage took place at Ripon
15. ^ "The Jurist" 1847
16. ^ "Celebrities I have known", William Pitt Lennox
17. ^ "The Sporting Review", edited by Craven, 1840
18. ^ "Book of the Lockes: A Genealogicaland Historical Record of the Descendents of William Locke of Woburn", John Goodwin Locke, 1853
19. ^ "A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain", Sir Bernard Burke
20. ^ "Twiggs corrected list of the country bankers of England and Wales", 1830
21. ^ "Mrs Duberly's War" edited Christine Kelly
22. ^ Auction brochure, Ashton Gifford House, Constable and Maude (of London), for a public auction held on 20 November, 1929
23. ^ "Codford: Wool and War in Wiltshire", John Chandler, Phillimore 2007"
24. ^ 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881 UK census
25. ^ 1871 census
26. ^ "The Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine", list of members 1862
27. ^ "Visitations of England and Wales" 1909
28. ^ "Men at the Bar: A biographical hand list of the members of the various inns" 1885. William Waldon Ravenhill married Anna Louise Everett of Greenhill House, Sutton Veny
29. ^ Wiltshire County Council Community History page http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/community/getschool.php?id=1040
30. ^ "County Topographies: Wiltshire", ed E R Kelly, 1875"
31. ^ 1881 UK Census
32. ^ "The Estates Gazette Digest of land and property cases"
33. ^ 1891 and 1901 UK Census
34. ^ Journal of the Bath and West and Southern Counties Society", 1913
35. ^ The Fane family owned Boyton Manor in the neighbouring village of Boyton, not far from the south or station lodge of Ashton Gifford Estate. Boyton Manor was sold to the 9th Duke of Newcastle in the 1950s
36. ^ "Country Life" magazine supplement, 17 April 1920
37. ^ Visible in the picture accompanying the Country Life advert, ibid
38. ^ Auction brochure, Ashton Gifford House, Constable and Maude (of London), for a public auction held on 20 November, 1929
39. ^ Country Life, 19 October 1929 page xxi, 26 October 1929 page xxi, 9 November 1929 page xxi, 16 November 1929 page xxi
40. ^ Who's Who, 1931
41. ^ Lord Headley's role as a Muslim http://wokingmuslim.org/pers/headley/
42. ^ "Dod's Peerage" 1942
43. ^ Wiltshire County Council, Community history
44. ^ "Passed/Failed: An education in the life of Adrian Mitchell, Shadow Poet Laureate" The Independent, 26 July 2007
45. ^ "Siegfried Sassoon: The Journey from the Trenches" J M Wilson
46. ^ http://www.manchestergalleries.org/the-collections/search-the-collection/display.php?EMUSESSID=c1dc50701789f7b3567c876d17efb1a1&irn=11976
47. ^ Bonhams "20th Century British Art" Catalogue, sale held 8 November 2008, lot 105
48. ^ West Wiltshire Council planning department