History of Chilton Cantelo House

About Chilton Cantelo School Oldies

Some historical snippets of information about Chilton Cantelo House:

  1. Did you know that Chilton Cantelo School is the only school in the country to have run its own fire brigade? The Chilton Cantelo Fire Brigade.
  2. The school was up for sale in 1989 and the asking price was £750,000.00 plus.
  3. The grade two listed building was built in 1700. It was enlarged on a pretentious scale by Sir John Goodford in 1859 when  he retired as provost of Eton. The Goodford family eventualy moved out of the house in 1924.
  4. The house was built of local stone with hamstone dressings and a Welsh slate roof. Most of it is Jacobean style with Dutch gables. The central entrance door is flanked by Doric-style columns and pilasters. Most of the windows are cruciform pattern.
  5. The curved stone walls to the stable yard with flat copings and massive stone circular piers are considered an important feature of the original manor house estate.
  6. In the early part of the 18th century the estate was owned by the Old family who were successful ironmongers in Yeovil.
  7. A branch of the Old family emigrated to the United States and set up the Oldsmobile automobile company.
  8. Chilton Cantelo’s history dates back to the 13th century when the site was associated with the Cantilupes of Barwick Manor and then with various other families down to the Countess of Hertford from 1729 to 1780.
  9. In 1942 the house was requisitioned for the WRNS who stayed for five years. The house was used from 1947 until 1957 for   domestic training courses sponsored by the government.

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