HeritageGateway - Home
Site Map
Text size: A A A
You are here: Home > > > > West Berkshire HER Result
West Berkshire HERPrintable version | About West Berkshire HER | Visit West Berkshire HER online...

West Berkshire HER logo

The West Berkshire Historic Environment Record (HER) is the primary index of the physical remains of past human activity in the unitary authority of West Berkshire Council. Limited elements of the West Berkshire HER are available online via the Heritage Gateway, therefore it is not suitable for use in desk-based studies associated with development, planning and land-use changes, and does not meet the requirements of paragraph 194 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2021: 56). Please read the important guidance on the use of the West Berkshire HER data. For these purposes and all other commercial enquiries, please contact the Archaeology team and complete our online HER enquiry form.



HER Number MWB17825
Record Type Monument
Name Site of Strange's Brewery, Aldermaston Wharf

Grid Reference SU 600 670
Map Sheet SU66NW
Parish Aldermaston, West Berkshire
Map:Show location on Streetmap

Summary

Former 18th century brewery and brewer's house by canal, altered and demolished by late 20th century

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

  • Conservation Area: Aldermaston Wharf

Monument Type(s):

  • BREWERY (18th century to Late 20th century - Present - 1751 AD? to 1980 AD?)
  • MANAGERS HOUSE (18th century to Late 20th century - Present - 1751 AD? to 1980 AD?)

Full Description

The First Edition Ordnance Survey map <1> shows Aldermaston Brewery to the south of the Kennet and Avon Canal; by the 7th Epoch <2> the outline of the brewery building had been altered extensively although Brewery House, presumably once the accommodation of the manager, appeared to have survived. The entire complex was demolished for housing in the late 20th century.

Documentary sources indicate that the brewery was owned in the late 18th century by Francis Strange who lived in the Brewery House, while another branch of his family occupied Bridge House <3>. In 1952 the brewery was sold, following the death of the only son.

The water for brewing was taken from an artesian well 160ft deep, while the power was from water from the Kennet & Avon Canal <7>.

The GIS polygon is an approximation of the extent of the 19th century brewery, although it is not clear whether all the buildings and yards shown on the First Edition map were associated with this industry.

Sources and further reading

<01>Landmark. 1872-85. Digital Ordnance Survey Mapping Epoch 1, 1:2500 (25 inch). Digital. 1:2500. [Map / SWB14341]
<02>Ordnance Survey. c. 1980. Ordnance Survey Epoch 7. 1:10560. [Map / SWB14666]
<03>Babtie?. 1990s. Interpretation Board at Aldermaston Lock. [Graphic material / SWB147430]
<04>Berkshire Archaeological Society. 1981-2. Berkshire Archaeological Journal 1981-82 71. 71. 10.5284/1000017. p81, 83, 85. [Article in serial / SWB12544]
https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/library/browse/issue.xhtml?recordId=1081753 (Accessed on 29/06/2020)
<05>unknown. 1896. Abstract of the Title of F M Adnams. https://doi.org/10.5284/1030733. [Unpublished document / SWB147790]
https://doi.org/10.5284/1030733 (Accessed 10/03/2022)
<06>Page and Ditchfield (eds). 1923. Victoria County History (VCH) Berks III 1923. Vol 3. p386. [Monograph / SWB10005]
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol3 (Accessed 08/03/2022)
<07>Ditchfield and Page (eds). 1906. Victoria County History (VCH) Berks I 1906. Vol 1. p410. [Monograph / SWB10017]
https://archive.org/details/victoriahistoryo01ditcuoft (Accessed on 22/12/2021)
<08>Dearing, J. 2013. A Directory of Berkshire Brewers. 4th edition. 2019 WBC Network. p30 William Jeffreys Strange & Sons Ltd, Aldermaston. [Unpublished document / SWB149933]
https://reading.camra.org.uk/history (Accessed on 15/06/2021)

Related Monuments

MWB5803ALDERMASTON WHARF - general area (Monument)
MWB17707Bridge House, Mill Lane, Padworth (Building)

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

  • None recorded