Steeple Ashton houses [31]

Image: © Michael Dibb Taken: 14 Feb 2023

The Old Firs, number 27 High Street, was originally a late 15th century open hall house with a cross wing. The wing is all that remains of the original building. The house was rebuilt in 1699 and there are 19th and 20th century additions. The 15th century part is timber framed with square panels, jettied to the street, with rendered infill, at the rear is the 17th century rebuild in dressed limestone, all under a stone slate roof. There is a 17th century service wing in rubble stone, altered in the 20th century. The 19th and 20th century additions are in brick with tile roofs. Many original internal features and fittings remain. There is another view of the house at Image Listed, grade II, with details at: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1252608 The village of Steeple Ashton is a former market town, having been granted a weekly market in 1266. It lies some 3¼ miles east of Trowbridge and some 7 miles southwest of Devizes. The town became wealthy from its cloth industry, but there was a great fire in the early 16th century, and when it came to rebuilding the industry moved to the nearby town of Trowbridge, where the River Biss provided power for fulling mills. The first part of the village name comes from the former church spire, which collapsed in 1670.

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