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Danes Lye - Westbury RoadHidden by a high brick wall, Danes Lye, stands on a large plot of land on the Western approach to the village, just after Hitchfield Farm on the Westbury Road. Originally known as Hitchfield House, this attractive Victorian house was built for John Newman in 1856/7. It is thought that the house is one of several designed by the Rev Charles Palairet. It certainly has many similar design features as Church Hill Cottage built around the same time. Bratton’s first vicar, Richard Pyper lived there until a new parsonage (now known as Summersdown House) was built for him in 1863 on a plot of land off Upper Garston Lane donated by Lord Bath. Described as a ‘newly erected villa residence’, Hitchfield House was sold to John Reeves (1815-92) and his wife, Mary Applegate, in 1863, and was enlarged by him around 1873. John, and his brother Robert, ran the RJ Reeves Ironworks in the centre of the village. John was also responsible for building the two rows of three cottages, known as Spring Gardens, by the stream in Stradbrook. Replacing earlier cramped and dilapidated cottages, he built red brick ones better suited to the needs of the skilled workers at the Ironworks. [Return] |