TWENTY two firefighters tackled a major blaze on part of Chavenage estate last week.

Crews were scrambled from Tetbury and Nailsworth fire stations to deal with the fire at around 2.45pm on Thursday, July 30.

When they arrived at Cranmore Farm, just off Chavenage Lane, they found the building “well alight” and called for backup from Cheltenham and Stroud fire stations.

The office and workshop on fire was part of Chavenage’s old dairy farm which had been rented to business Continental Soil Technology that sells premium farm machinery.

Caroline Lowsley-Williams, part of the family that owns the Elizabethan house, said the building was “completely gutted” and most of the things inside had been lost. Three other buildings on the same sire were undamaged.

She added that business owner Stuart Cameron had managed to save a Labrador puppy from the fire and that he was trying to quell the blaze when the fire service turned up.

When the Standard contacted Mr Cameron he said the fire had been “very distressing” and he did not currently wish to talk about it.

A Gloucestershire County Council spokeswoman said two floors were "severely damaged" by the fire and fire crews stayed on the scene for six hours.

She added that the cause of the blaze was unknown but that it was not being treated as suspicious.

A man and his wife visiting Chavenage on the day left a glowing review on tripadvisor.com before adding: “We were in the first room on the tour when Caroline, one of the two sisters in the family who own the house, barged in and commanded her brother to 'go and see to the fire blazing in the milking parlour'.

“Apparently these things happen in very old houses......but the tour carried on regardless.”

A number of road closures were put in place by Gloucestershire Police as firefighters tackled the blaze.