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Summary

Grade II listed farmhouse, incorporating part of the west range of Poughley Priory

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1210712: THE PRIORY

Other Statuses and Cross-References

• Berkshire SMR No. (pre 2000): 01264.03.000
  
• Old Listed Building Ref (pre 1984) (II): Map No 9 27/5 Poughley Farmhouse formerly Priory of St. Margaret.
  Converted to house from part of Priory buildings after Reformation. Two storey and attic. East front mixture of flint and stone possibly C.14/15 walling. Irregular windows with modern casements and central door, to left hand of door is date stone 1633 and below it a carved stone figure of a monk, west front C.18 vitreous brick with red dressings, three bays all modern steel windows arched central door. CROWN PROPERTY

Monument Type(s):

• PRIORY (WESTERN RANGE, 12th century to 16th century - 1160 AD? to 1532 AD?)
• FARMHOUSE (16th century to Late 19th century - 1532 AD? to 1900 AD?)
• OFFICERS QUARTERS (Early 20th century to Unknown - 1901 AD?)

Full Description

The only upstanding remains of Poughley Priory have been incorporated into a house, called Poughley Farm. This lies within RAF Welford. The farmhouse is Grade II listed, and described <1> as being of several periods of construction (14th, 16th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries). A photograph of the house in the Victoria County History <2> indicates two distinct parts, constructed back to back; the oldest and longest part is on the east side (not north as described in the listing). Palmer thought that this represented the part of the Priory containing the kitchen with 'what is generally supposed to be the oven and cooking places', and some dormitories over it <3>.

The east front 'consists of a wall of flint and stone, nearly 4 feet thick, in the upper part of which is a blocked window of two trefoiled lancet lights, and near it a carved sitting figure' <2>. An illustration of this 'curious stone figure' is contained within Gray's History and Antiquities of Newbury <4>; Pevsner <5> considers it to be a seated monk. (He also dated the blocked window as late 13th century.) Above the figure is a stone with the initials M. I. R I and the date 1613, perhaps the year of the building of this section of the farmhouse. Some of the flints have been substituted by bricks in the later 20th century. The eastern range has much timber framing evident in its internal partitions and soot-blackening in its arch braced roof. The VCH also noted a 'loose stone in one of the out-buildings is dated 1677' <2>.

The western half of the farmhouse was added in 1796, when 'a large heap of earth.. Was removed and thrown into pits, probably fish-ponds…and many human remains with it' <3>; this is also quoted as the year when several human skeletons were dug up and 'thrown into a sawpit behind the stables' <3>. The extension consisted of a two storey block with a hipped roof, each floor with three rooms; it also has a cellar.

The site was purchased from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in the late 19th century by Philip Wroughton and then owned by various private individuals including the compiler of a short history of the priory, H Meredity Hardy <6>. He makes reference to an old oak staircase, original fireplace and huge chimney running through the centre of the house as well as other features. Since the Second World War the priory has been within the grounds of RAF Welford; the farmhouse was the Commanding Officer's house when Murray's Guide was written <7>. A historic building survey was carried out in 1986 <8>, and a roof inspection in 1990 <9>. In 1995 a quadrennial survey <10> noted various priorities that were necessary for the building's preservation, including works not completed from the 1986 survey. The building was unoccupied at the time of a visit in 2002 by West Berkshire archaeology service. It is described (presumably following a visit) in the 2010 Revised Pevsner Guide <11>.

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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