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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

Grade II* listed house, largely built 1848-51, but incorporating staircase of an 1636 predecessor

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1117317: ALDERMASTON COURT
• Registered Park or Garden (II) 1000530: Aldermaston Court

Other Statuses and Cross-References

• Berkshire SMR No. (pre 2000): 01825.03.000
  
• National Monuments Record No.: SU 56 SE 25
  SU 5965 6480
• Old Listed Building Ref (pre 1984) (II): Map No 36 16/2 Aldermaston Court
  Late C.18, two storeys, rubble sarsen with brick dressings, flat eaves, slate roof. Four upper 2-light casement windows, two wide segmental headed 2-light casements in centre on ground floor and 6 panelled door in outside corners.

Monument Type(s):

• COUNTRY HOUSE (17th century to Late 19th century - 1636 AD to 1894 AD)

Full Description

Aldermaston Court (now the Manor House Hotel) is a listed Grade II* building.

A previous house was built in 1636 on an adjacent site, but was demolished following a fire in 1843. The present house was built in 1848-51 and enlarged in 1894 <22>. It is built in red brick with slate roofs.

The two lodges (listed Grade II*) date back to 1636. The stables are said to be 17th century by Pevsner <4>; the revised Pevsner <22> gives a date of about 1800. Part of the 17th century staircase was rebuilt into the Victorian house and there is some heraldic glass <3><4>.

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.

During the Second World War, the estate was used by the USAF (Aldermaston Court served as the headquarters for the United States Army Airforce 9th Air Command), and an airfield constructed in part of the park.

Much historical documentation was collated to be submitted in connection with a planning application in 2001 <15-20>.

The NMR notes that in 1943-1945 Aldermaston Court served as the headquarters for the United States Army Aircorps 9th (later renumbered 29th) Air Command.

A series of cropmarks are visible within the garden areas to the east of the mansion house on an oblique photograph dating to 15/08/2001 and a vertical photograph dating to 27/03/1991. These are likely to represent earlier garden features. A number of WWII structures are shown to the north and south of the mansion house in the form of barracks, huts and other structures including elements of the airfield to the south, with characteristic ‘frying pan’ shaped aircraft dispersal areas extending into the southern part of the site on photographs dating between 1943-1946 <35>.

The first manor house on the site is understood to date from the C12th when Henry I, founder of Reading Abbey, granted the Manor of Aldermaston to the Robert Archard in 1100 suggesting that a dwelling was in place in existence at that time. Analysis of early maps and surveys has not indicated where this early manor house was located. The second house on the site, dating from 1636, was located in close proximity to St Mary’s Church and just to the north of the existing later house. The cellars of this earlier house still remain on the site and are integrated within the gardens, despite the house having burnt down in the early C19th. Designed landscape features such as the pattern of radiating treed avenues and rides from the focal house also remain on site and are associated with this earlier phase in the history of the manor <36>.

West Berkshire Museum has photographs showing the house in the late 20th century <39>. An aerial photograph taken in 1921 <40> shows the house and surrounding area.

Sources and further reading

Related Monuments

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

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