Newell House, in Sherborne. Picture: Google

Landmark Newell House in Sherborne was badly damaged in “suspicious” fire

Paul JonesApril 28, 20260 Comment0

A DERELICT building severely damaged by fire in Sherborne this week was the controversial Newell House.

The “much-loved” building, at the junction of the A30 and Marston Road, had long been the subject of calls from campaigners for refurbishment after falling into disrepair.

Dorset CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) said the grade II-listed building was “rich in the history of the town”.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said the cause of the fire, which was reported on Sunday night (April 26), “is believed to be suspicious and Dorset Police are now investigating”.

In response, Sir Christopher Coville, chair of Sherborne & District Society (CPRE), said: “We await the police and fire service investigation into the cause of the fire, but in the meantime, I have called on the Sherborne Town Council to initiate at once an independent inquiry into the background, actions taken and lessons to be learned from this tragic loss of one of Sherborne’s best loved houses.

“For many years, we and other groups have become increasingly concerned at the condition and security of Newell House, not least as it has now been unoccupied for over 20 years.

“Going back to over five years ago, we have been lobbying the town and the county councils to take urgent action to safeguard the site, which includes a large garden housing a listed barn.”

They said strong action had not been taken to rectify the building’s situation.

“Even as trespassing increased and vandalism started to erode the building’s fabric, we saw none of the necessary determination needed to engage effectively with the owner, or indeed take the measures which we perceived as crucial to safeguarding the building,” Sir Christopher added.

The A30 was closed to traffic as fire crews battled the blaze overnight on Sunday into Monday.