Hamstead Marshall
| Hamstead Marshall | |
| Berkshire | |
|---|---|
_-_geograph.org.uk_-_6233.jpg) St Mary's Church at Hamstead Marshall | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SU412654 |
| Location: | 51°23’12"N, 1°24’30"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 276 (2011) |
| Postcode: | RG20 |
| Local Government | |
Hamstead Marshall is a little village in Berkshire. It is to be found southwest of Newbury, on the Berkshire-Hampshire border. There village has a 12th-century parish church, St Mary's, a village hall and one public house, called the White Hart
There is a canine rescue kennel run by the Dogs Trust here, and the Organic Research Centre at Elm Farm.
The parish covers rather less than 1,850 and includes scattered settlements such as Ash Tree Corner, Chapel Corner, Holtwood and Irish Hill.
Although the village name is spelt Hamstead Marshall, the alternative Hampstead Marshall was quite commonly used in the past, and remains the official name of the civil parish.
History
Hamstead Marshall has three sites of mediæval motte-and-bailey castles, all on private land, one of which is possible the site of Newbury Castle. All are registered historic monuments.
The suffix 'Marshall' in the village's name is from William Marshall who became Earl of Pembroke, was a loyal knight to four kings: Henry II, Richard I, King John, and Henry III. The manor continued to be owned by the Crown and used as a location for hunting by kings and queens throughout the centuries, until it was sold by King James I in 1613.
The village was from 1620 until the 1980s the seat of the Earls of Craven. William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven (1608-1697) built a mansion there, originally intended as a residence for Charles I's sister, Elizabeth of Bohemia, although she died before construction began. It burnt down in 1718. The Cravens later expanded a hunting lodge to live in instead, and this still stands, privately occupied, in the centre of Hamstead Park. Until the mid-twentieth century the Craven family owned most of the village, but successive sell-offs by the estate have made owner-occupancy predominant.
Geography
The village landscape comprises farmland, woodland and parkland. No A or B roads pass through, although it does lie on a bus route. The river Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal pass through the northern edge of the village, and the river Enborne marks the southern boundary, and also the border with Hampshire. About half the property in the village pre-dates 1900, and quite a few are listed buildings.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Hamstead Marshall) |