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| HER Number | MWB19984 |
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| Record Type | Monument |
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| Name | Possible mill, Donnington Grove - approximate location |
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| Grid Reference | SU 456 689 |
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| Map Sheet | SU46NE |
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| Parish | Shaw-cum-Donnington, West Berkshire |
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| Speen, West Berkshire |
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| Map: | Show location on Streetmap |
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Summary
Conjectural evidence for the site of a mill on the River Lambourn in Donnington Park, perhaps associated with a later engine house
Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status
- Registered Park or Garden (II) 1000534: Donnington Grove
Monument Type(s):
Full Description
Research into the history of Bagnor paper mill <1> noted that there had been some confusion in references with the mill next to the Boxford Road at Woodspeen, as well as a mill in Donnington Grove park.
No mill is shown in Donnington Park on Rocque's map <2> although possibly two buildings drawn on the earlier Speen Manor map <3> are labelled 'paper mill' (this is difficult to read). These buildings later became the site of Grove Farm.
A programme of building recording at Grove Farm <4> suggested the presence of a mill race to the north of the farmstead. Some probable 19th century machinery was also photographed in a small structure built over the mill race. An engine house is shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey mapping <5>.
Clearer documentary evidence comes from The Victoria County History of 1906 which noted the presence of two large paper mills at the hamlet of Bagnor, 'one of which stood on the site of the cascade in Donnington Grove, and was pulled down at the beginning of the last century' <7>.
A site visit on 14/2/2023 found a derelict brick structure partly clad in corrugated iron and overgrown with vegetation <8>. This is the same building referenced above <4>. Following a further site visit on 8/6/2023, the location point was corrected (the structure is erected above the watercourse).
Sources and further reading
| <01> | Peacock, D. 05/08/2005. Letter from David Peacock to West Berkshire SMR about his research on the Watermill Theatre site. [Unpublished document / SWB14533] |
| <02> | Rocque, J. 1761. Rocque's Map of Berkshire. 1:35,000 (approx). Not marked. [Map / SWB7242]
https://www.rct.uk/collection/700042/rocques-map-of-berkshire (Accessed 09/02/2021) |
| <03> | Commissioned by the Duke of Chandos. 1729/30. Map of Speen Manor. Marked 'paper mill'?. [Map / SWB12939] |
| <04> | Forum Heritage Services. 05/09/2005. Grove Farm, Donnington Grove, Speen, Berkshire - Building Recording & Assessment. 2021 WBC Network. [Unpublished document / SWB14515] |
| <05> | Landmark. 1872-85. Digital Ordnance Survey Mapping Epoch 1, 1:2500 (25 inch). Digital. 1:2500. Marked 'Engine House'. [Map / SWB14341] |
| <06> | Gray, E W (ed)?. pre 1839. The History and Antiquities of Newbury and its Environs. p171 - mill pulled down. [Monograph / SWB11182]
https://archive.org/details/historyandantiq00unkngoog (Accessed 16/07/2019) |
| <07> | Ditchfield and Page (eds). 1906. Victoria County History (VCH) Berks I 1906. Vol 1. p382. [Monograph / SWB10017]
https://archive.org/details/victoriahistoryo01ditcuoft (Accessed on 22/12/2021) |
| <08> | Andrews, B. Observations from field visits. Visit 14/2/2023. [Personal observation / SWB150438] |
Related Monuments
| MWB6228 | Bagnor Mill (The Watermill Theatre) (Building) |
| MWB17383 | Dairy Farm, Donnington (formerly Grove Farm) (Monument) |
| MWB6229 | Donnington Mill (Monument) |
| MWB19987 | Pavilion on island in lake, Donnington Grove - unknown exact location (Building) |
Associated Excavations and Fieldwork
| EWB833 | Grove Farm, Donnington Grove, Speen, Berkshire - Building Recording & Assessment |
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