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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.



HER Number MWB6111
Record Type Monument
Name HERMITAGE TO HAMPSTEAD NORREYS RAILWAY LINE

Grid Reference SU 516 745
Map Sheet SU57SW
Parish Hampstead Norreys, West Berkshire
Hermitage, West Berkshire
Map:Show location on Streetmap

Summary

Section of the course of the Didcot, Newbury & Southampton Railway, closed in the 1960s

Other Statuses and Cross-References

  • Berkshire SMR No. (pre 2000): 05054.03.000

Monument Type(s):

  • RAILWAY (Late 19th century to Mid 20th century - 1881 AD? to 1964 AD)

Full Description

This section of the DNS railway line through West Berkshire is not shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey mapping of 1880-81 <4> but had been mapped by the Second Epoch of 1899 <5>.

It is noted that the arrival of the railway had a great impact on Hampstead Norreys village, allowing people and goods to be transported quickly along the line <6>. Agricultural items such as hay, straw, fertilisers and some farm machinery were moved by rail as well as sheep, cattle and some racehorses from Wyldcourt Stables.

Hermitage also expanded greatly due to the railway, with the Pinewood Brick and Tile Works having a siding and later its own rail halt <7>. An oblique air photograph of 1928 <8> shows the railway and another manufacturing site, the Hermitage brickworks.

Sources and further reading

<01>Karau, P, Parson, M & Robertson, K. 1981. Didcot, Newbury & Southampton Railway. [Monograph / SWB12968]
<02>Mitchell, V & Smith, K. 1998. Didcot to Winchester. [Monograph / SWB148539]
<03>Simmonds, P. 2014. A history of the Berks and Hants line Reading to Westbury. [Monograph / SWB148853]
<04>Landmark. 1872-85. Digital Ordnance Survey Mapping Epoch 1, 1:2500 (25 inch). Digital. 1:2500. [Map / SWB14341]
<05>Landmark. 1899-1900. Digital Ordnance Survey Mapping Epoch 2, 1:2500 (25 inch). Digital. 1:2500. [Map / SWB14455]
<06>Hampstead Norreys History and Heritage Group. 2009?. Hampstead Norreys History and Heritage. http://heritage.hampsteadnorreys.org.uk/. Accessed 26/11/2015. [Website / SWB148934]
http://heritage.hampsteadnorreys.org.uk/ (Accessed 26/11/2015)
<07>Hermitage Parish Council. 2004. A Village Design Statement for Hermitage. [Unpublished document / SWB149155]
https://info.westberks.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=35719&p=0 (Accessed 16/08/2021)
<08>Aerofilms. 01/09/1928. Britain from Above - AFL3173, EPW023274. Aerial Photo. [Photograph / SWB149056]
http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/epw023274 (Accessed 04/07/2016)

Related Monuments

MWB20339Chapel Lane overbridge, Hermitage (Monument)
MWB20338Four Elms overbridge, Hampstead Norreys (Monument)
MWB6113Hampstead Norreys Bridge (Monument)
MWB6112Hampstead Norris station (Monument)
MWB20341Marlston Road underbridge, Hermitage (Monument)
MWB16002PINEWOOD HALT (Monument)
MWB20340Site of Yattendon Road underbridge, Hermitage (Monument)
MWB6110Station House, Station Road, Hermitage (former Hermitage Railway Station) (Building)
MWB20349Track underbridge at Long Lane (Monument)
MWB20337Track underbridge near Hatchgate Cottage, Hampstead Norreys (Monument)
MWB20336Underbridge near Park Wood, Hampstead Norreys (Monument)
MWB6106Didcot, Newbury and Southampton (DNS) Railway Line - general record (Monument)
MWB20601Darrynane House, Hampstead Norreys (formerly Railway Hotel) (Building)
MWB6109HERMITAGE TO PINEWOOD RAILWAY LINE (Monument)
MWB16022Site of Hermitage Brickworks (Monument)
MWB16740Site of Hermitage Cold Store (Monument)

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

EWB1254Woodland Archaeology in West Berkshire - Park Wood, Down Wood & Westbrook Copse, Hampstead Norreys. (D Greenaway)