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.

Summary

Cropmark remains of late 17th century mansion, probably built on the site of an earlier manor house; burnt down in 1718, although later rebuilding may have occurred

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

• Registered Park or Garden (II) 1000525: Hamstead Marshall Park

Other Statuses and Cross-References

• Berkshire SMR No. (pre 2000): 01342.01.000
  
• National Monuments Record No.: SU 46 NW 12
  SU 4194 6665 (

Monument Type(s):

• MANOR HOUSE? (Elizabethan to 17th century - 1586 AD to 1661 AD?)
• COUNTRY HOUSE (17th century to 18th century - 1661 AD? to 1718 AD)

Full Description

Gray provides a version of the history of Hamstead Marshall's large 17th century mansion, and the later Hamstead Lodge: "(In 1662) the house built by Sir Thomas Parry having been pulled down, Sir Balthazer Gerbier began a stately pile of building for (the Earl of Craven) at Hamstead Marshall, which was finished in 1665. The house was almost wholly destroyed by fire in 1718.. Sir Balthazer Gerbier.. died at Hamstead Marshall while on a visit, in 1667, and lies buried in the parish church. The present mansion was erected by the late earl of Craven, merely as a shooting lodge, and has been from time to time subsequently enlarged." <1>

The mansion was linked to Elizabeth Stuart of Bohemia, sister of Charles I, in that it was suggested that William Craven, the first earl, built it with 'the Winter Queen' in mind <2>, and that they might even have secretly married <3>. However, work at Hamstead can hardly have started when the queen died in 1662. The original Dutch architect Gerbier, also seems to have died, perhaps in the early 1660s <4>, before the house was completed, and documents in the Bodleian library indicate that work was continuing on the house, outbuildings and gateways for 20-30 years <5>. Kip's engraving <6> shows a house of three storeys with attics, U-shaped in plan, set amidst formal gardens (MWB6291).

It is generally assumed (eg, by Lysons <7>) that Craven built this house on the site of the manor house erected by an earlier estate owner, Sir Thomas Parry (1558-1616). Parry's house was mentioned by Camden in c1586 <8>; the VCH even think a reconstruction may have occurred in about 1620 <4>. Stokes has drawn together evidence suggesting that Craven's mansion looks like a 'dual construction of much earlier lower floors topped by later work' <3>; in particular, Hill and Cornforth saw Jacobean styles in the windows of the lower storeys <9>.

It is not known how much time the Earl of Craven spent at his mansion; it was only one of many he owned <10>. However, in the era of the third baron, the mansion was burned to the ground. It seems that work started on rebuilding under the architect James Gibb, but stopped on the baron's death in 1739 <3><22>. However, some kind of building is still marked in this location on Rocque's map <11> and on an estate survey of 1775 <12>, although it is uncertain what this was used for. By the beginning of the 19th century, the shift to living at Hamstead Lodge (MWB15941) had occurred.

The site of the former mansion(s) can detected by a pronounced hollow, probably reflecting the former presence of cellars <13>. Aerial photographs, and to a lesser extent geophysical survey <14>, have also given a clear indication of the accuracy of Kip's drawing. The GIS polygon is a representation of the courtyard layout of the house (one side being open), although the First Edition Ordnance Survey map <15> plots a point to the south of this location. The Berkshire National Mapping Programme produced a transcription of the garden layout <17>.

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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.