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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.


This site is designated as being of national importance and is afforded additional protection. Consult West Berkshire Council's Archaeology team if more information or advice is needed.



HER Number MWB19987
Record Type Building
Name Pavilion on island in lake, Donnington Grove - unknown exact location

Grid Reference SU 457 688
Map Sheet SU46NE
Parish Shaw-cum-Donnington, West Berkshire
Map:Show location on Streetmap

Summary

Unlisted Gothick style flint pavilion, perhaps a folly or boat house

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

  • Registered Park or Garden (II) 1000534: Donnington Grove

Monument Type(s):

  • BOAT HOUSE? (18th century - 1771 AD? to 1800 AD?)
  • PAVILION (18th century - 1771 AD? to 1800 AD?)

Full Description

The description of the Registered Park of Donnington Grove <1> notes that 'from the house a path runs south-west to a wooden bridge across the north end of the lake, onto a peninsula on which stands a small, flint, Gothick-style pavilion'. Unlike the gothick fishing lodge or temple at the eastern end of the lake, this structure has not been listed. It is not clear whether it is an 18th century building or something constructed later.

The First Edition Ordnance Survey mapping <2> marks a boat house at the south end of a peninsula, and possibly this is the same building. Another boat house is shown on the eastern side of the river channel nearby.

The BIAG gazetteer describes an octagonal building with dressed 'gothic' windows, housing a water-wheel driven pump, with a grid reference of SU455688 [possibly to provide the water supply to Donnington Grove]: 'Waterwheel 8 ft dia overall, 3 ft 9 in wide. rims, 6 f t 6 in dia. 16 floats 12 in deep. Low breast shot. 8 spokes in one-piece casting., Too heavily coated in hard-water stone to see signature.' <3> The reference date, for a visit by J K Major, is given as 19/5/1991 but a building matching this description is not shown on either OS Fifth edition or modern mapping. <4,5> A site visit on 15/2/2023 recorded a building that may well have housed the equipment described by Major, but is certainly not octagonal in plan nor equipped with 'gothic' windows <6>.

Sources and further reading

<01>Historic England (previously English Heritage). 1987. Register of Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England. Donnington Grove. [Unpublished document / SWB12616]
<02>Landmark. 1872-85. Digital Ordnance Survey Mapping Epoch 1, 1:2500 (25 inch). Digital. 1:2500. Marked 'Boat House'. [Map / SWB14341]
<03>Berkshire Industrial Archaeology Group. 1966-1991. Berkshire Industrial Archaeology Group Gazetteer of Industrial Sites & Monuments. 2023 WBC Network. OG218. [Unpublished document / SWB12762]
<04>Ordnance Survey. c. 1980. Ordnance Survey Epoch 7. 1:10560. Not marked. [Map / SWB14666]
<05>Ordnance Survey. c. 2003. Modern Ordnance Survey Mapping 1:10,000. 1:10000. Not marked. [Map / SWB14667]
<06>Andrews, B. Observations from field visits. Visit 14/2/2023. [Personal observation / SWB150438]

Related Monuments

MWB6284Donnington Grove (Park) (Landscape)
MWB19984Possible mill, Donnington Grove - approximate location (Monument)

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

EWB176Berkshire Industrial Archaeology Group Survey