Melksham House
Encyclopedia
Melksham House is a Grade II listed country house situated in Market Place, Melksham
, Wiltshire
.
The house was built between the 17th and early 18th century, although records have shown a building on this site since about 1608. In 1699 Richard Coxeter sold the property to Sir Walter Long, 2nd Baronet of Whaddon, after which time various replacements and extensions were added over the years, continuing in the Long family.
Throughout the 19th century the house had a succession of owners. In 1920 the house and surrounding 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) was in the ownership of the Avon Rubber
Company, purchased for use as the company club and sports centre for the "social welfare of their employees". The formal opening of the club took place on 11 December 1920, but just days later a fire broke out destroying much of the house, and all that could be salvaged was the façade
which has remained intact to this day. The damaged part of the house was rebuilt in a manner more suited to a sports club.
On the west side of the house is the former tithe barn
which was converted into a schoolroom in 1878 by G.E. Street, and continued to be used for that purpose until 1974.
In 1997 Avon Rubber sold its tyre interest to Cooper Tire & Rubber Company
of Findlay, Ohio
, USA, and included in this sale was Avon's 35 acres (141,640.1 m²) manufacturing site in Melksham and the Avon Sports & Social Club (Melksham House).
Melksham
Melksham is a medium-sized English town, lying on the River Avon. It lies in the county of Wiltshire.It is situated southeast of the city of Bath, south of Chippenham, west of Devizes and north of Warminster on the A350 national route. The 2001 UK census cited Melksham as having 20,000...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
The house was built between the 17th and early 18th century, although records have shown a building on this site since about 1608. In 1699 Richard Coxeter sold the property to Sir Walter Long, 2nd Baronet of Whaddon, after which time various replacements and extensions were added over the years, continuing in the Long family.
Throughout the 19th century the house had a succession of owners. In 1920 the house and surrounding 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) was in the ownership of the Avon Rubber
Avon Rubber
Avon Rubber p.l.c. is a manufacturer of high technology rubber-based products for a number of manufacturing sectors. It is a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index...
Company, purchased for use as the company club and sports centre for the "social welfare of their employees". The formal opening of the club took place on 11 December 1920, but just days later a fire broke out destroying much of the house, and all that could be salvaged was the façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
which has remained intact to this day. The damaged part of the house was rebuilt in a manner more suited to a sports club.
On the west side of the house is the former tithe barn
Tithe barn
A tithe barn was a type of barn used in much of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing the tithes - a tenth of the farm's produce which had to be given to the church....
which was converted into a schoolroom in 1878 by G.E. Street, and continued to be used for that purpose until 1974.
In 1997 Avon Rubber sold its tyre interest to Cooper Tire & Rubber Company
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is a United States based company that specializes in the design, manufacture, marketing and sales of replacementautomobiles and truck tires, and subsidiaries that specialize in medium truck, motorcycle and racing tires...
of Findlay, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, USA, and included in this sale was Avon's 35 acres (141,640.1 m²) manufacturing site in Melksham and the Avon Sports & Social Club (Melksham House).