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| HER Number | MWB15876 |
|---|
| Record Type | Monument |
|---|
| Name | Site of 'The Ark' at Greenham |
|---|
Summary
Former location of an isolated house on the common which supplied refreshments to early 20th century walkers
Monument Type(s):
- TEA HOUSE (Late 19th century to Mid 20th century - 1886 AD to 1951 AD?)
Full Description
The 'Ark' appears to have been a wooden building, which was apparently erected in a meadow in 1886 and dragged up Pyle Hill to Greenham Common by several horses and volunteers <1>. It was used for refreshments for walkers and ramblers on the common; the First Edition Ordnance Survey <2> marks it as 'Noah's Ark', presumably due to its construction and shape. By the 4th epoch <3> it was called 'The Ark'. Some plans and an elevation were drawn when alterations were made to it in 1939 <4>. It survived during the Second World War phase of the airbase <5>, although it was demolished when the Cold War runway was built <6><11>. A last photograph of it in the Newbury Weekly News shows a single storey house looking very similar to a house called Fir Tree Cottage; possibly this is a mistake or duplication, or perhaps the Ark had been rebuilt by then in a similar style to other local cottages <11>.
West Berkshire Museum has a photograph apparently showing the Ark in the mid 20th century <8>: the photograph shows a single story brick building with a tiled roof and tall chimney.
A lot named 'Noah's Ark' was included in the 1938 catalogue when the Greenham Lodge estate was put up for sale <9>.
Sources and further reading
| <01> | Newbury Weekly News. 1886. One Hundred Years Ago. [Article in serial / SWB13078] |
| <02> | Landmark. 1872-85. Digital Ordnance Survey Mapping Epoch 1, 1:2500 (25 inch). Digital. 1:2500. Marked 'Noah's Ark'. [Map / SWB14341] |
| <03> | Ordnance Survey. c. 1930. Ordnance Survey Epoch 4. [Map / SWB14664] |
| <04> | Wheeler, E C. 1939. Planning Application, The Ark. [Unpublished document / SWB13082] |
| <05> | Air Ministry. 1945. Greenham Common - Record Site Plan, Site No 1 Airfield. Dwg No 4817/44. 1:2500. Marked on map but not in schedule. [Map / SWB13060] |
| <06> | Hawkings, D. 2003. Greenham: a common inheritance. http://www.greenham-common.org.uk. Accessed 20/03/2008. Photo in Bomber Base Goes On'. [Website / SWB13700]
http://www.greenham-common.org.uk (Accessed 11/01/2012) |
| <07> | Orr, S. 2000. Greenham & Crookham Commons - Historical Research Commission. [Unpublished document / SWB147472] |
| <08> | Museum Curator. Newbury Museum Accession Records (West Berkshire Museum since 1998). WBC Network. NEBYM:2000.20.87. [Unpublished document / SWB14452] |
| <09> | n/a. 1938. Sale Catalogue of the Greenham Lodge Estate. Lot 114. [Unpublished document / SWB13069] |
| <10> | 1840. Greenham Tithe Map. 1 inch to 3 chains. Marked 'The Ark'. [Map / SWB149232]
https://berksrecords.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_7ed51320-933c-416a-a427-b5c1d6a4f93b/ (Accessed 13/11/2025) |
| <11> | Newbury Weekly News. 12/04/1951. NEWBURY WEEKLY NEWS 12/04/1951 - Bomber Base Goes On: These Homes Will Disappear. online. [Article in serial / SWB151040]
http://www.greenham-common.org.uk/ixbin/hixclient.exe?a=query&p=greenham&f=generic_objectrecord_postsearch.htm&_IXFIRST_=2&_IXMAXHITS_=1&m=quick_sform&text=12%20April%201951&tc1=i&tc2=e&partner=greenham (Accessed on 20/03/2026) |
Related Monuments
| MWB6570 | Greenham Common Airbase (RAF Greenham Common) (Monument) |
| MWB23771 | Site of One Tree Cottage, Greenham Common, Greenham (Monument) |
Associated Excavations and Fieldwork
None recordedIf you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.
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