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A house apparently existed on this site by 1638, but the descent of the property cannot be traced until the 18th century.
A new house of five bays and three storeys was built about 1740, probably for a member of the Winchcombe family of clothiers. The garden front of this house survived until demolition in the 1960s. It was typical of the Bristol blend of Baroque and Palladian styles, typified by the jostling window surrounds with alternate segmental and triangular pediments.
Anthony Keck made alterations to this house for James Winchcombe in 1766-70. He added two-storey, three-bay wings to the existing block, and remodelled the entrance front with more widely-spaced windows.
In the late 19th century, an elaborate 'winter garden' or conservatory was added to the west side of the house for Thomas Lancaster. The house was abandoned during the Second World War and demolished in the early 1960s. The park was subsequently developed for housing by Eric Cole & Partners, c.1970, and all that survives are the stables, an office wing, and one 18th century gatepier.
Bownham Park Special School, opposite the Bear Inn, was opened in 1986, but has since closed.
From January 2016, this website is managed by Stroud Local
History Society
Revised 2018 EMW
