Wickham, Berkshire
Coordinates: 51°26′38″N 1°25′55″W / 51.444°N 1.432°W
| Wickham | |
 Baydon Road |
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 Wickham
Wickham shown within Berkshire |
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| OS grid reference | SU3971 |
|---|---|
| Unitary authority | West Berkshire |
| Ceremonial county | Berkshire |
| Region | South East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Newbury |
| Postcode district | RG20 |
| Dialling code | 01488 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Royal Berkshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Newbury |
| List of places: UK • England • Berkshire | |
Wickham is a village in Welford civil parish about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) north-west of Newbury, Berkshire. The M4 motorway passes just north of the village.
Contents |
[edit] Archaeology
Wickham is on the course of a Roman road that linked Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester) with Corinium Dobunnorum (Cirencester).[1] Many traces have been found in Welford parish of habitation when Britain was under Roman rule.[1]
[edit] Parish church
The Church of England parish church of Saint Swithin has a Saxon tower,[2] built probably in the 11th century.[1] It seems to have been built originally as a free-standing defensive tower.[1] Later a nave and small chancel were added to form a chapel of ease for Wickham, which in the Middle Ages was a hamlet of Welford.[1]
By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086 the Benedictine Abingdon Abbey seems to have held the parish church at Welford and its chapel at Wickham.[1] During the reign of Henry I (between 1100 and 1135) St. Swithin's had to provide 40 pounds (18 kg) of candle-wax per year for the altar at Abingdon Abbey.[1] In 1396 St. Swithin's paid 50 shillings per year to the Abbey in lieu of 100 pounds (45 kg) of candle-wax.[1]
A Jacobean pulpit was installed in St. Swithun's in 1629 and a north aisle was added in 1827.[1] The church tower has only one bell.[1] It was cast in 1617 and bears the initials "R P".[1]
In 1845 the nave, chancel and north aisle were all demolished.[1] Between 1845 and 1849 a new church was built with a nave, chancel and both north and south aisles in a Decorated Gothic style, and a Norman Revival style bell-chamber was added to the top of the tower.[1] All were designed by the Gothic Revival architect Benjamin Ferrey, who included carved "Norfolk angels" supporting the nave roof[2] and eight papier maché elephants' heads appearing to support the aisle roof.[1]
[edit] Wickham House
A rectory at Wickham seems to have been built during the reign of Henry II (between 1154 and 1189).[1] However, the present building dates from the 18th century. Ferrey greatly enlarged and altered it, adding a tower, spire and remarkable Gothic Revival bay window.[2] The Jacobean pulpit from St. Swithun's was dismantled and its panels used to make a cupboard in the servants' hall of the house.[1]
In 1852 St. Gregory's parish church at Welford was also demolished and a new Gothic Revival church built in its place.[1] Extensive carved stonework was salvaged from St. Gregory's and re-used to decorate the rectory garden at Wickham.[1] A vinery was built using six Perpendicular Gothic windows, five being 15th century originals and the sixth a modern copy.[1] A 15th century doorway and some 13th century windows were also included in the vinery.[1] Elsewhere in the garden two 15th century piers from the south aisle and many other fragments from St. Gregory's were set up.[1]
The remains of St. Gregory's were still in the rectory garden in 1924[1] but all had been demolished before 1966, along with the tall spire on the house.[2] The building is no longer a rectory and is now called Wickham House.
[edit] Social and economic history
The Domesday Book recorded five mills in the manor of Welford,[1] but it is not clear if any of these were at Wickham. No later record is known of any mill in the parish.[1]
By 1275-76 an annual royal fair was held at Wickham.[1] In 1924 there was still an annual Wickham Feast on Saint Swithun's patronal festival, 15th July.[1]
An open field system of farming prevailed until 1820, when the common lands of Wickham and most of the rest of Welford parish were inclosed.[1]
By 1924 Welford parish had an elementary school and it was at Wickham.[1]
[edit] References
[edit] Sources
- Page, William; Ditchfield, P.H., eds (1924). Victoria County History: A History of the County of Berkshire, Volume 4. pp. 116–125.
- Pevsner, Nikolaus (1966). The Buildings of England: Berkshire. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. pp. 266.
[edit] External links
Media related to Wickham, Berkshire at Wikimedia Commons
