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 | MWB5282 |
|---|
| Record Type | Place |
|---|
| Name | MIDGHAM - possible Saxon location |
|---|
Summary
'MIGEHAM' RECORDED IN DOMESDAY. LATER VARIANTS OF THE NAME INCLUDE MIGGEHAM (1260), MYGGEHAM (1340), MICHAM (1169), MIGHAM (1199). THE NAME MEANS 'RIVERSIDE MEADOW INFESTED WITH MIDGES'.
Other Statuses and Cross-References
- Berkshire SMR No. (pre 2000): 03919.01.000
Monument Type(s):
- VILLAGE (11th century to Medieval - 1001 AD? to 1539 AD)
Full Description
Midgham is mentioned in Domesday as a manor in the hundred of Thatcham, held by Giles Pinkney <1>. There were three sub-tenants, and this division seems to have continued in the medieval period as three manors, although the holdings may not have been the same. The Victoria County History <3> describes the documentary references for Erley's Manor and two other Midgham Manors as well as Hall Court.
Midgham's place name probably means 'riverside meadow infested with midges' <2> and the original settlement is likely to have been on Midgham Marsh <4>. The GIS point is approximate.
Sources and further reading
| <01> | Morgan, P (ed). 1979. Domesday Book - Berkshire. DB5. 61d. [Monograph / SWB14587]
https://opendomesday.org/ (Accessed 11/01/2023) |
| <02> | Gelling, M. 1973. The Place Names of Berkshire - Part One. English Place-Name Society Vol XLIX. p255-6. [Monograph / SWB10003] |
| <03> | Page and Ditchfield (eds). 1923. Victoria County History (VCH) Berks III 1923. Vol 3. p320-3. [Monograph / SWB10005]
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol3 (Accessed 08/03/2022) |
| <04> | Collier, D. 1960-2011. Personal research into the history of Midgham. [Unpublished document / SWB148051] |
Related Monuments
| MWB16794 | Midgham Mill - conjectural location (Place) |
| MWB5281 | MIDGHAM VILLAGE (Monument) |
| MWB19897 | Thatcham Hundred (Place) |
Associated Excavations and Fieldwork
None recordedIf you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.
Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.