A historic Wiltshire home famed for its beautiful gardens has been devastated by fire – with firefighters battling the flames for two days.
Aerial photos have revealed the extent of the damage at Cherry Orchard Barn, a converted nineteenth-century threshing barn and cattle byre in Luckington, near Malmesbury.
Emergency services were called to the detached property at around 12.21pm on Monday (9 November), where an inferno engulfing the entire building was found.
More than 50 firefighters were involved, with nine fire engines on scene and specialist appliances brought in from across Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Avon.
Crews attended from Chippenham, Corsham, Stratton, Swindon, Devizes, Tetbury and Kingswood.
Water carriers were also sent from Royal Wootton Bassett and Cheltenham East, alongside an aerial ladder platform from Swindon, a command unit from Pewsey and a support appliance from Salisbury.
A total of twelve firefighters wearing breathing apparatus tackled the flames using two main hose lines, hose reel jets and the aerial ladder platform.
The fire affected the entire house, but crews managed to prevent it from spreading to an annexe, which was saved. Despite the scale of the blaze, there were no reported injuries.
Cherry Orchard Barn is known for its picturesque one-acre garden, which has regularly opened to visitors in support of the National Garden Scheme, raising money for charity.
Created from the corner of a field, the garden features seven distinct areas, including colourful displays of herbaceous perennials, with views across the surrounding countryside. It most recently opened to the public on 19 July this year.
Firefighters remained at the scene for more than two days, damping down the property and dealing with remaining hot spots.
The incident was finally brought to a close shortly after 5pm on Wednesday (11 November), more than 52 hours after crews were first called.
An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, with Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service working alongside the building owner’s insurers.
