Stories from the past: Downton Fire Engine

The old parish fire engine, dating from 1768, is now preserved in the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum. Originally, it was housed in St Laurence’s Church, Downton, where it was kept in the transept and accessed by a doorway at the south end. Though this doorway has long since been bricked up, traces of it can still be seen on the church’s south wall, near the leper window.

With so many timber-framed and thatched houses in the village at the time, fire posed a constant threat. The early fire engine was likely manned by local volunteers, who received a small payment along with bread and beer for their service. The local constabulary and villagers also joined in when needed.

The engine itself was paid for by Thomas Duncombe and Richard Croft, Downton’s two Members of Parliament, ensuring the community had vital protection against fire. Kept at the heart of the village, in the church, it remained in service until at least 1891—an impressive working life of over 120 years.