A large three-storey 18th century farmhouse facing the road, but standing back at an angle, formerly occupied this site. On the west side of the garden surrounding the house was a large orchard enclosed by a high wall which extended along the road to the field gate by the pound. On the east side was the entrance to the farm yard at the rear which contained a barn and other farm buildings. Also belonging to the property at the back was a large pasture field called the Great Close. It formed a smallholding which in the 18th century was occupied by the farmer of the western Twerton Farm, but was acquired in about 1830 by Thomas Hitchens, ‘surgeon and registrar of births, marriages and deaths’, who also acted as the local physician. He was succeeded by William Hitchens (presumably his son) who continued in this capacity until 1897. It was this family which later gave the name Ivy Villa to the house. It nevertheless continued to be run as a smallholding, with a farmer living on site, for whom a new house was added to the east side of the main building after 1834 (later known as Ivy Lodge). In the 20th century the property continued to be occupied by farmers and dairymen, until the Great Close was sold for the building of the Football Ground in 1933, with entry through the farm entrance on the east side of the houses. By this time the orchard had already been cleared and a second entrance was opened up through the wall, providing additional space for fairgrounds and other public events next to the road. In 1956 the main house was pulled down and the orchard site cleared for redevelopment after Dominion Road was opened up a few years earlier. It was not until 1960 however that the Co-operative supermarket (now Blockbuster Video) was built on the corner - preserving the curved alignment of the field entrance - together with the Twerton Service (petrol) Station on the site of the old house. In 1971 Ivy Lodge was also demolished and replaced by the supermarket store (now Spar, with the carpet shop adjoining), with access to the football ground retained in the form of the narrow alleyway on the east side. The Service Station was closed in the late 1980s and remained empty for some years before the rank of shops and flats were built on the site in the 1990s.

A view of the petrol station which occupied the site of Ivy Villa.

A view of the petrol station which occupied the site of Ivy Villa - showing the eastern extension of the house (Ivy Lodge) which remained in use.

A view taken along the High Street in 1936, with Rose Cottage on the left and the field entrance into the Pound Ground on the right. An entry through the wall of Ivy Villa orchard is also visible.
In the distance the west gable of Ivy Villa can be seen, and the frontage of Lisbon Place.