Conservation Areas and Listed Buildings
Listed areas (courtesy Wiltshire Council site)
The centre of Box village, Ditteridge/Middlehill and Ashley are all designated Conservation Areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character and appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance. Residential development evolved in these areas in the Georgian period but only Ashley and Middlehill have commons, not Box.
These three Conservation Areas have over 100 of Box’s 213 Listed Buildings and Monuments, including some of the smaller masterpieces you may not have recognised previously.
These three Conservation Areas have over 100 of Box’s 213 Listed Buildings and Monuments, including some of the smaller masterpieces you may not have recognised previously.
Central Area and Box Church
The greatest density of Listed Buildings is at Thomas a Becket churchyard where 67 memorial tombs have been scheduled.
The greatest density of Listed Buildings is at Thomas a Becket churchyard where 67 memorial tombs have been scheduled.
Box churchyard (courtesy Carol Payne)
This compares to the Market Place area and the central village where 58 properties are listed including The Blind House, The Manor House, The Old Dairy, Poynder Fountain, Woodstock Cottages and Frogmore House. The list also includes 1 Chapel Lane and 3-7 Market Place.
Ashley Area
Ashley has 19 Listed Buildings, including Ashley Manor, Ashley House, Ashley Farmhouse, Ashley Leigh, Ashley Grove, Sheylor’s, Spencer’s, The Barton and Ailsa Craig.
Ashley has 19 Listed Buildings, including Ashley Manor, Ashley House, Ashley Farmhouse, Ashley Leigh, Ashley Grove, Sheylor’s, Spencer’s, The Barton and Ailsa Craig.
Middlehill / Ditteridge
The constant rebuilding of houses is evident at Middlehill, which makes the original dating of houses uncertain. The listing includes Middlehill House, Spa House and Longridge House and it also includes Laurel Cottage and Toad Hall, together with their front railings.
The constant rebuilding of houses is evident at Middlehill, which makes the original dating of houses uncertain. The listing includes Middlehill House, Spa House and Longridge House and it also includes Laurel Cottage and Toad Hall, together with their front railings.
Toad Hall and railings are listed (photo courtesy Carol Payne)
In Conclusion
Many of the listings were made 50 years ago and those chosen often reflect the Georgian period and the listings only include a few later buildings. The extent of the village and its hamlets was very much smaller then, before the massive expansion of the late Victorian period. In earlier times, The Bear Inn, Townsend, The site of the Post Office and Pye Corner were the extent of residential development
There are four Grade I listed buildings - Chapel Plaister, Church of St Thomas a Becket, Church of St Christopher and Hazelbury Manor - and seven Grade II* buildings. The rest are Grade II.
Many of the listings were made 50 years ago and those chosen often reflect the Georgian period and the listings only include a few later buildings. The extent of the village and its hamlets was very much smaller then, before the massive expansion of the late Victorian period. In earlier times, The Bear Inn, Townsend, The site of the Post Office and Pye Corner were the extent of residential development
There are four Grade I listed buildings - Chapel Plaister, Church of St Thomas a Becket, Church of St Christopher and Hazelbury Manor - and seven Grade II* buildings. The rest are Grade II.