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| HER Number | MWB17130 |
|---|
| Record Type | Monument |
|---|
| Name | De La Beche and Old Barn (formerly Beche Farm) |
|---|
Summary
Historic farmstead documented in 18th century and still partly present in 21st century
Monument Type(s):
- FARMSTEAD (18th century to Late 19th century - 1761 AD to 1880 AD)
Full Description
This farm at De La Beche is recorded on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map <1> as noted during a 2005 survey of West Berkshire's historic farmsteads <2>. It is also shown on Rocque's map <3> and the 19th century Ordnance Survey Drawing <7> and Tithe map <8>, where its name is spelt as Beech Farm.
In 1877-79 <1> the dwelling house lay to the east of an open courtyard of agricultural buildings, round a circular pond. The northern and western ranges (probably including a large barn) were demolished by the 5th Epoch OS <4>, when large modern farm buildings are depicted; these in turn were removed probably by the later 20th century. The southern range was converted to residential use following planning approval in 1974 <5>, and is named Old Barn, although its original use is likely to have been a shelter shed due to its long narrow plan, with single storey accommodation.
The Museum of English Rural Life has a set of horse bells owned by Thomas Aldridge of De La Beche farm in the late 19th century <9>.
Sources and further reading
| <01> | Landmark. 1872-85. Digital Ordnance Survey Mapping Epoch 1, 1:2500 (25 inch). Digital. 1:2500. Marked 'Beche Farm (on Site of) Castle'. [Map / SWB14341] |
| <02> | Orr, S. 2005. West Berkshire Historic Farm Buildings - An Assessment of the Resource and Guidelines for Management. [Unpublished document / SWB14474] |
| <03> | Rocque, J. 1761. Rocque's Map of Berkshire. 1:35,000 (approx). Marked 'Beeche Farm'. [Map / SWB7242]
https://www.rct.uk/collection/700042/rocques-map-of-berkshire (Accessed 09/02/2021) |
| <04> | Ordnance Survey. 1962-1981. Ordnance Survey Epoch 5, 1:2500. 1:2500. 1:2500, 1973. [Map / SWB14665] |
| <05> | Newbury District Council. 1974-2000. Newbury District Council Planning Applications 1974-2000. 101798. [Index / SWB148104] |
| <06> | Thames Valley Services. 2018. De La Beche, Haw Lane, Aldworth, West Berkshire: Archaeological Watching Brief. DLB 18/141. WBC Network. https://doi.org/10.5284/1089927. [Unpublished document / SWB149747]
https://doi.org/10.5284/1089927 (Accessed 24/03/2022) |
| <07> | Ordnance Survey. 1808. Ordnance Survey Drawing of East Ilsley; BL OSD 158, 2. Two inch to the mile. Marked 'Beech Farm'. [Map / SWB147329]
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ordnance_Survey_Drawings_-_East_Ilsley_(OSD_158).jpg (Accessed on 23/06/2022) |
| <08> | Hawkes and Son. 1841. Aldworth Tithe Map. 3 chains to 1 inch. Marked 'Beech Farm'. [Map / SWB150028]
http://ww2.berkshirenclosure.org.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=DD1%2f4%2f1 (Accessed 10/02/2022) |
| <09> | Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) - Accession Register. 52/205. [Unpublished document / SWB149809]
https://merl.reading.ac.uk/merl-collections/search-and-browse/ () |
Related Monuments
| MWB4130 | De la Beche, Aldworth (Monument) |
Associated Excavations and Fieldwork
| EWB1742 | De La Beche, Haw Lane, Aldworth, West Berkshire: Archaeological Watching Brief (Ref: DLB 18/141) |
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