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
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One of three union workhouses in West Berkshire, partially demolished but with the entrance range converted to flats in late 20th century
The Bradfield Union workhouse was built in 1835, by the architect Sampson Kempthorne following one of his model plans, with a central building and radiating wings. It became the Wayland Hospital, a residential home for people with learning difficulties after 1948 <1><12> and this closed in 1991. The workhouse was partially demolished and houses built on the site in 1997-98; however, the entrance range minus the cupola was retained and turned into flats <7>.
The Berkshire Record Office holds admission registers for Wayland Hospital Special School from 1971 to 1973 <16>.
West Berkshire Museum has a series of oblique aerial photographs showing the site in the late 20th century <17>.
| <01> | Landmark. 1872-85. Digital Ordnance Survey Mapping Epoch 1, 1:2500 (25 inch). Digital. 1:2500. Marked 'Union Workhouse'. [Map / SWB14341] |
| <02> | Berkshire Medical Heritage Centre. 2000. Care & Compassion - Old Prints and Photographs of the Hospitals and Nurses in Berkshire and South Oxfordshire 1839-1930. p48. [Monograph / SWB13935] |
| <03> | Morrison, K. 1999. The Workhouse - a study of poor-law buildings in England. p60, 74, 76, 201. [Monograph / SWB13992] |
| <04> | Railton, M. 1994. Early Medical Services - Berkshire and South Oxfordshire from 1740. [Monograph / SWB14052] |
| <05> | Page and Ditchfield (eds). 1923. Victoria County History (VCH) Berks III 1923. Vol 3. p395. [Monograph / SWB10005]
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol3 (Accessed 08/03/2022) |
| <06> | Pevsner, N. 1966. The Buildings of England (Berkshire). p99. [Monograph / SWB10024] |
| <07> | Tyack, G, Bradley, S and Pevsner, N. 2010. The Buildings of England (Berkshire). p201. [Monograph / SWB147855] |
| <08> | READING MUSEUM OS XXXVI NW NOTE G1. [Map / SWB11369] |
| <09> | Crisp, S. 2004. Local History Study - Rushall Farm in Bradfield, Berkshire: 1241-2004. http://www.rushallfarm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/history-pack.pdf. 15/09/2014. [Website / SWB148050]
http://www.rushallfarm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/history-pack.pdf (Accessed 15/09/2014) |
| <10> | Higginbotham, Peter. 2002-3. The Workhouse - The Story of an Institution. http://www.workhouses.org.uk/. [Website / SWB13934]
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/ (Accessed 07/12/2011) |
| <11> | Ordnance Survey. 1962-1981. Ordnance Survey Epoch 5, 1:2500. 1:2500. Marked 'Wayland Hospital (Mentally Subnormal)'. [Map / SWB14665] |
| <12> | Berkshire Federation of Women's Institutes. 1979. The Old Berkshire Village Book. Bradfield p22. [Monograph / SWB147301] |
| <13> | Dils, J and Yates, M (ed). 2012. An Historical Atlas of Berkshire (2nd Edition). p104-105 Workhouses under the Old and New Poor Law. [Monograph / SWB148708] |
| <14> | Fletcher, W. c1840. Tour Round Reading. Google book. p82. [Unpublished document / SWB148846]
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=EeQGAAAAQAAJ (Accessed 06/02/2019) |
| <15> | Historic England (previously English Heritage). English Heritage Archives/ Historic England Archive. BF100536. [Index / SWB148730]
https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/photos/ (Accessed 20/02/2023) |
| <16> | Berkshire Record Office. 2013?. Berkshire Record Office Guide to School Records - West Berkshire. Bradfield - Wayland Hospital Special. [Unpublished document / SWB148439]
https://www.berkshirerecordoffice.org.uk/storage/app/media/pdfs/Source%20guides/West-Berks-Schools-guide-A4-final.pdf (Accessed on 23/06/2021) |
| <17> | Museum Curator. Newbury Museum Accession Records (West Berkshire Museum since 1998). 2022 WBC Network. NEBYM:2000.33.33-40. [Unpublished document / SWB14452] |
| <18> | 1847. Bradfield Tithe Map. Numbered '183'. [Map / SWB147185]
http://ww2.berkshirenclosure.org.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=DD1%2f22%2f1 (Accessed 10/02/2022) |