Beenham
| Beenham | |
| Berkshire | |
|---|---|
 Picklepythe Lane | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SU5868 |
| Location: | 51°24’59"N, 1°8’52"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 1,175 (2001) |
| Post town: | Reading |
| Postcode: | RG7 |
| Dialling code: | 0118 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | West Berkshire |
| Website: | Beenham Online |
Beenham is a village in Berkshire about 7 miles east of Newbury. A twin village of the parish is the hamlet of Beenham Stocks immediately to the east of the main village. There is barely a break to be made between them. The parish church is a short way along a lane to the south of both.
It is a place of over a thousand folk. The village has a church (St Mary's) and a primary school (Beenham Primary School). The UK Wolf Conservation Trust has its headquarters here.
Parish church
The parish church is St Mary's. A church was built here about the end of the 12th century.[1] An old print of the original building shows that it had some 13th century lancet windows and a 16th-century window.[1] In 1794 the church was struck by lightning and burnt down[2] and was replaced with a Georgian building of brick.[1][2] In 1859 the nave was demolished and replaced by a Gothic Revival one[1] designed by the architect Henry Woodyer.[2] The 1794 brick tower was retained and has a peal of six bells.[1]
Murder
The village had some grim fame in the 1960s when the body of 17-year-old Yolande Waddington was found in the village in October 1966. It was not until 16 November 2011 that the murderer was caught: David Burgess by then 64 years old and formerly of Beenham. He was subsequently imprisoned for life, though he had already received life sentences in 1967 for murdering two 9-year-old girls.
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Beenham) |
References
- Victoria County History: A History of the County of Berkshire, Volume 3
- Nikolaus Pevsner: The Buildings of England: Berkshire (1966)