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Summary

Former location of possibly 18th century house on Kingsclere Road and adjacent to the mid-19th century railway cutting, demolished in the early 20th century

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

• Conservation Area: Newbury Town Centre

Monument Type(s):

• DETACHED HOUSE (18th century to Edwardian - 1701 AD? to 1908 AD)

Full Description

Bridge House is named on the OS 1:500 First edition map of Newbury as a large L shaped building in a triangular piece of land which included a garden <1>. It may have dated from the 18th century: it is shown on the Davies map of 1849 <3> and may well be represented on the Willis map of 1768 <4>. Bridge House is present on the OS Second edition map of 1899, but had been demolished by the Third edition map of 1911 <2>. The name appears to have derived from its location above the cutting of the Great Western railway; it is on the west side of the Kingsclere Road out of Newbury which crossed the branch line on an overbridge. The later redevelopment of this bridge and the widening of the cutting appear to have led to the demolition of Bridge House. This seems also have been linked to the creation of the new railway station in 1908.

West Berkshire Museum has a photograph <5> showing "Old Houses at Newbury, Demolished to carry out the Great Western Railway New Station Works" which apparently shows Bridge House prior to the construction of the new approach to Newbury station. The part of the building facing the Kingsclere road is of three storeys, with a slightly irregular rendered and protruding second floor frontage with a high parapet in front of three gables with three tall chimney stacks; the first floor elevation in patterned brick has five or possibly six sash windows (6 over 6) above a ground floor similar frontage largely obscured by vegetation. The rear wing is of two storeys with a chimney and there is a further single storey range. The complex is enclosed by iron railings.

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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