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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.



HER Number MWB3449
Record Type Monument
Name Conjectural site of Greenham preceptory

Grid Reference SU 474 670
Map Sheet SU46NE
Parish Newbury, West Berkshire
Map:Show location on Streetmap

Summary

Walter Money's suggested site of the Knights Hospitallers's dwelling in Greenham, close to the supposed castle on the Wharf

Other Statuses and Cross-References

  • Berkshire SMR No. (pre 2000): 01389.07.000
  • National Monuments Record No.: SU 46 NE 62
    SU 4743 6710

Monument Type(s):

Full Description

Money <1> supposed that the Castle was sited on the wharf at Newbury, and associated this with the Hospitallers' dwelling because of references to a messuage called the 'Castle or Hospital' in 1723, and a parcel of land called 'Hospital Meade' in Chepe Street. Other documentary sources apparently said that the preceptory was 'at the foregate of the castle' (repeated by Astill <2>).

The Ordnance Survey marked the site of the preceptory on Greenham Wharf from the Second Epoch <3> through to the 5th Epoch mapping <4>. Because of Money's theory, subsequent finds of stone walls have been assigned to the preceptory without any definite evidence (eg a part of a boundary wall destroyed when the A34 relief road was built, and ashlar blocks in a surviving wharf building, Canal House). The length of wall noted by Hadcock <5> was described by the Ordnance Survey field investigator in the 1960s <6>.

Knowles and Hadcock <7> listed Greenham as a Knights Hospitallers' house, but gave no definite location.

Other research <8> has suggested that the preceptory was at Pigeon's Farm in Greenham.

Sources and further reading

<01>Newbury District Field Club. 1872-75. TRANS NEWBURY DISTRICT FIELD CLUB 1872-75 VOL 2. 2. pp252-4 The Site of the Castle of Newbury by Walter Money (from NWN October 1877). [Article in serial / SWB10336]
<02>Astill, G G. 1978. Historic Towns in Berkshire: an archaeological appraisal. p51. [Monograph / SWB10869]
<03>Landmark. 1899-1900. Digital Ordnance Survey Mapping Epoch 2, 1:2500 (25 inch). Digital. 1:2500. Marked 'Preceptory of Knights Hospitallers'. [Map / SWB14455]
<04>Ordnance Survey. 1962-1981. Ordnance Survey Epoch 5, 1:2500. 1:2500. Marked 'Preceptory of Knights Hospitallers (site of)'. [Map / SWB14665]
<05>Hadcock, R N. 1949. GUIDE TO BOROUGH OF NEWBURY 1949. P99. [Monograph / SWB7054]
<06>Ordnance Survey. 1960s-70s. Ordnance Survey Field Investigators Comments. F1 NVQ 22-OCT-63. [Personal observation / SWB14640]
<07>Knowles, D and Hadcock, R N. 1953. Medieval Religious Houses in England and Wales. p243. [Monograph / SWB11245]
<08>Leamon, R (and Brimpton Parish Research Association) ©. 05/04/2005. A Landscape Study of some Knights Hospitaller Sites. [Unpublished document / SWB14531]

Related Monuments

MWB3450Conjectural length of preceptory wall (Monument)
MWB3424NEWBURY (Monument)
MWB15833Greenham Preceptory - unknown exact location (Place)
MWB16490Pigeon's Farm, Greenham (Monument)

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

  • None recorded