Midgham
Encyclopedia
Midgham is a village and civil parish in the Kennet
Valley about 2.5 miles (4 km) east of Newbury, Berkshire
. It has a population of 282.
The village extends to the Berkshire Arms public house
in the west, New Road Hill in the east, Midgham Marsh to the south of the A4 road and Midgham Green to the north. The other public house in Midgham is the Coach and Horses at the junction of Church Hill and the A4 road.
Midgham was anciently part of Thatcham parish and is recorded in the Domesday Book
of 1086 but relatively little is known of the medieval history of the parish.
Midgham includes Midgham Park which was the Earl of Clarendon
's estate, Midgham Green and surrounding areas. Midgham Green has a village green
run by the parish council and a village hall
run by its own committee. As of 2010, the village hall has a new management committee who have begun to make improvements to enable the venue to be used more frequently and for a wider variety of community events.
complex in Beenham
.
Midgham's history over the past 400 years has been compiled in a series of books by local historian John Trigg. There is evidence that the Knights Templar held land in the area but few details are known. Trade tokens have been found from the 17th century near the church so it is certain that there was trade in the area during the Early Modern period.
It was given to the Pinkney family after the Conquest, but they divided it into three sub-manors: Erley's Manor and two others of unknown name but which, for identification purposes, might be referred to as Midgham Chenduit and Midgham Everard. Erley's Manor was the most important and is represented by the present Midgham House. It was originally owned by the widespread Earley family of Earley Whiteknights, near Reading. Its most famous owner was the diplomat, Stephen Poyntz, who became governor and steward to the household of the young Prince William, Duke of Cumberland. The prince spent quite a lot of his childhood at Midgham House to which accommodation, still called the Duke's Rooms, was added. Poyntz' panelling from the house now graces the walls of Brimpton Millhouse, while Midgham's Dower House was lost in a game of cards and re-erected as a gatehouse at Aldermaston Court. A fourth manor-house, called Hall Court, became the vicarage in 1857.
Midgham had its own chapel from at least 1309. It stood a little to the north-east of the present building, nearer Midgham House. The present church of St. Matthew's, 13th century in style, was erected by the architect John Johnson in 1869.
Midgham was part of the parish of Newbury until 1857 when the then new squire appointed the first vicar (Rev. John Errington) in 1867 for the newly-built Church of England parish church
of Saint Matthew. The church is now part of a larger benefice with St. Peter's, Woolhampton
and St. Mary's, Beenham
.
The railway station at Woolhampton was renamed in the 1930s after the stationmaster became frustrated by frequently redirecting wrongly-addressed packages intended for in the West Midlands
.
River Kennet
The Kennet is a river in the south of England, and a tributary of the River Thames. The lower reaches of the river are navigable to river craft and are known as the Kennet Navigation, which, together with the Avon Navigation, the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Thames, links the cities of Bristol...
Valley about 2.5 miles (4 km) east of Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
. It has a population of 282.
The village extends to the Berkshire Arms public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
in the west, New Road Hill in the east, Midgham Marsh to the south of the A4 road and Midgham Green to the north. The other public house in Midgham is the Coach and Horses at the junction of Church Hill and the A4 road.
Midgham was anciently part of Thatcham parish and is recorded in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 but relatively little is known of the medieval history of the parish.
Midgham includes Midgham Park which was the Earl of Clarendon
Earl of Clarendon
Earl of Clarendon is a title that has been created twice in British history, in 1661 and 1776. The title was created for the first time in the Peerage of England in 1661 for the statesman Edward Hyde, 1st Baron Hyde...
's estate, Midgham Green and surrounding areas. Midgham Green has a village green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
run by the parish council and a village hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
run by its own committee. As of 2010, the village hall has a new management committee who have begun to make improvements to enable the venue to be used more frequently and for a wider variety of community events.
History
Few if any Roman traces have been found in the parish but there was known to be a crossing through swamp land and a Roman villaRoman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
complex in Beenham
Beenham
Beenham is a village and civil parish about east of Newbury in West Berkshire.-History:The history of the Church of England parish church of Saint Mary begins in about the end of the 12th century. An old print of the original building shows that it had some 13th century lancet windows and a 16th...
.
Midgham's history over the past 400 years has been compiled in a series of books by local historian John Trigg. There is evidence that the Knights Templar held land in the area but few details are known. Trade tokens have been found from the 17th century near the church so it is certain that there was trade in the area during the Early Modern period.
It was given to the Pinkney family after the Conquest, but they divided it into three sub-manors: Erley's Manor and two others of unknown name but which, for identification purposes, might be referred to as Midgham Chenduit and Midgham Everard. Erley's Manor was the most important and is represented by the present Midgham House. It was originally owned by the widespread Earley family of Earley Whiteknights, near Reading. Its most famous owner was the diplomat, Stephen Poyntz, who became governor and steward to the household of the young Prince William, Duke of Cumberland. The prince spent quite a lot of his childhood at Midgham House to which accommodation, still called the Duke's Rooms, was added. Poyntz' panelling from the house now graces the walls of Brimpton Millhouse, while Midgham's Dower House was lost in a game of cards and re-erected as a gatehouse at Aldermaston Court. A fourth manor-house, called Hall Court, became the vicarage in 1857.
Midgham had its own chapel from at least 1309. It stood a little to the north-east of the present building, nearer Midgham House. The present church of St. Matthew's, 13th century in style, was erected by the architect John Johnson in 1869.
Midgham was part of the parish of Newbury until 1857 when the then new squire appointed the first vicar (Rev. John Errington) in 1867 for the newly-built Church of England parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of Saint Matthew. The church is now part of a larger benefice with St. Peter's, Woolhampton
Woolhampton
Woolhampton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. The village is situated on the London to Bath road between the towns of Reading and Newbury...
and St. Mary's, Beenham
Beenham
Beenham is a village and civil parish about east of Newbury in West Berkshire.-History:The history of the Church of England parish church of Saint Mary begins in about the end of the 12th century. An old print of the original building shows that it had some 13th century lancet windows and a 16th...
.
The railway station at Woolhampton was renamed in the 1930s after the stationmaster became frustrated by frequently redirecting wrongly-addressed packages intended for in the West Midlands
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
.