An early consequence of the coming of the railway was its impact on carriage traffic between London and Exeter. This extra competition resulted in the closure of The Poyntz Arms at the corner of High Street and Winchester Street. Overton was a relatively prosperous village and the opportunity was seized to build an excellent school on the vacant site. By 1905 there were about 170 children in attendance.
For an historical perspective: In 1876 Bell invented the telephone.
Picture from Jim Stickland