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 | MWB19965 |
|---|
| Record Type | Monument |
|---|
| Name | Site of old Aldermaston Manor House - general location |
|---|
Summary
Approximate location of the earlier main building of Aldermaston Court, rebuilt in 1636 by Sir Humphrey Forster but then burnt out in 1843 and demolished, although the vaults survive
Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status
- Registered Park or Garden (II) 1000530: Aldermaston Court
Monument Type(s):
- MANOR HOUSE (13th century to 17th century - 1299 AD? to 1636 AD)
- GREAT HOUSE (17th century to Victorian - 1636 AD to 1843 AD)
Full Description
The site of the former main house in Aldermaston Park is described as lying 150m (or 300 feet) north of the 19th century Aldermaston Court, close to the west end of the church <1><2>. Aldermaston Park was first mentioned in 1299, and the manor house was rebuilt by Sir Humphrey Forster in 1636. However this house was largely burnt out in 1843, and a new house was built on a different site by Daniel Higford Burr <1>.
The Victoria County History <2> suggests that the old mansion stood about 300 feet to the northeast of the present house, but that only the foundations of the cellars remained following the fire. As well as the staircase, the stacks of chimneys from a still earlier 15th century house, were preserved.
Information submitted in 2016 with a major planning application for the park of Aldermaston Court <6> included photographs of the cellars of the original manor house. They are accessed by a flight of steps in the lawn to the west of the manor.
Sources and further reading
| <01> | Historic England (previously English Heritage). 1987. Register of Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England. Aldermaston Court. [Unpublished document / SWB12616] |
| <02> | Page and Ditchfield (eds). 1923. Victoria County History (VCH) Berks III 1923. Vol 3. p386-90. [Monograph / SWB10005]
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol3 (Accessed 08/03/2022) |
| <03> | Neale?. pre 1843. Aldermanston (sic) House: The seat of William Congreve, Esq. [Monograph / SWB12976] |
| <04> | Ordnance Survey. 1806. Ordnance Survey Drawing of Odiham; BL OSD 125, 19. Two inch to the mile. Marked 'Aldermaston Park' (schematic buildings). [Map / SWB147896]
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ordnance_Survey_Drawings_-_Odiham_(OSD_125).jpg (Accessed 24/08/2022) |
| <05> | Dils, J and Yates, M (ed). 2012. An Historical Atlas of Berkshire (2nd Edition). p76-77, Country houses before 1750 by Geoffrey Tyack. [Monograph / SWB148708] |
| <06> | West Berkshire Council. 2000-present. West Berkshire Planning Applications 2000 onwards. online. 16/02286/FULEXT. [Unpublished document / SWB147564]
http://planning.westberks.gov.uk/rpp/index.asp?caseref= (initial string - planning application number to be added after this) |
Related Monuments
| MWB6276 | Aldermaston Court (Park) (Landscape) |
| MWB3730 | Aldermaston Court (House) (Building) |
Associated Excavations and Fieldwork
| EWB1555 | Desk-based Assessment at Aldermaston Park, Aldermaston (Ref: 1038) |
If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.
Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.