Wickham, Berkshire
Encyclopedia
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.
that linked Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester
) with Corinium Dobunnorum
(Cirencester
). Many traces have been found in Welford parish of habitation when Britain was under Roman rule
.
of Saint Swithin has a Saxon
tower, built probably in the 11th century. It seems to have been built originally as a free-standing defensive tower. 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.
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. During the reign of Henry I
(between 1100 and 1135) St. Swithin's had to provide 40 pounds (18.1 kg) of candle-wax per year for the altar at Abingdon Abbey. In 1396 St. Swithin's paid 50 shillings per year to the Abbey in lieu of 100 pounds (45.4 kg) of candle-wax.
A Jacobean
pulpit
was installed in St. Swithun's in 1629 and a north aisle was added in 1827. The church tower has only one bell. It was cast in 1617 and bears the initials "R P".
In 1845 the nave, chancel and north aisle were all demolished. 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. All were designed by the Gothic Revival architect
Benjamin Ferrey
, who included carved "Norfolk angels" supporting the nave roof and eight papier maché elephants' heads appearing to support the aisle roof.
(between 1154 and 1189). 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
. The Jacobean pulpit from St. Swithun's was dismantled and its panels used to make a cupboard in the servants' hall of the house.
In 1852 St. Gregory's parish church at Welford was also demolished and a new Gothic Revival church built in its place. Extensive carved stonework was salvaged from St. Gregory's and re-used to decorate the rectory garden at Wickham. A vinery was built using six Perpendicular Gothic windows, five being 15th century originals and the sixth a modern copy. A 15th century doorway and some 13th century windows were also included in the vinery. Elsewhere in the garden two 15th century piers from the south aisle and many other fragments from St. Gregory's were set up.
The remains of St. Gregory's were still in the rectory garden in 1924 but all had been demolished before 1966, along with the tall spire on the house. The building is no longer a rectory and is now called Wickham House.
By 1275-76 an annual royal fair was held at Wickham. In 1924 there was still an annual Wickham Feast on Saint Swithun's patronal festival, 15th July.
An open field system
of farming prevailed until 1820, when the common land
s of Wickham and most of the rest of Welford parish were inclosed.
By 1924 Welford parish had an elementary school and it was at Wickham.
Welford, Berkshire
Welford is a hamlet and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire, in the valley of the River Lambourn north-west of the town of Newbury. The parish is within West Berkshire unitary authority....
civil parish about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) north-west 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...
. The M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
passes just north of the village.
Archaeology
Wickham is on the course of a Roman roadRoman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
that linked Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester
Silchester
Silchester is a village and civil parish about north of Basingstoke in Hampshire. It is adjacent to the county boundary with Berkshire and about south-west of Reading....
) with Corinium Dobunnorum
Corinium Dobunnorum
Corinium Dobunnorum was the second largest town in the Roman province of Britannia. Today it is known as Cirencester, located in the English county of Gloucestershire.-Fortress:...
(Cirencester
Cirencester
Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
). Many traces have been found in Welford parish of habitation when Britain was under Roman rule
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
.
Parish church
The Church of England parish churchChurch 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 Swithin has a Saxon
Anglo-Saxon architecture
Anglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the history of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid-5th century until the Norman Conquest of 1066. Anglo-Saxon secular buildings in Britain were generally simple, constructed mainly using timber with thatch for roofing...
tower, built probably in the 11th century. It seems to have been built originally as a free-standing defensive tower. Later a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and small chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
were added to form a chapel of ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
for Wickham, which in the Middle Ages was a hamlet of Welford.
By the time of 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...
in 1086 the Benedictine
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
Abingdon Abbey
Abingdon Abbey
Abingdon Abbey was a Benedictine monastery also known as St Mary's Abbey located in Abingdon, historically in the county of Berkshire but now in Oxfordshire, England.-History:...
seems to have held the parish church at Welford and its chapel at Wickham. During the reign of Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
(between 1100 and 1135) St. Swithin's had to provide 40 pounds (18.1 kg) of candle-wax per year for the altar at Abingdon Abbey. In 1396 St. Swithin's paid 50 shillings per year to the Abbey in lieu of 100 pounds (45.4 kg) of candle-wax.
A Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
was installed in St. Swithun's in 1629 and a north aisle was added in 1827. The church tower has only one bell. It was cast in 1617 and bears the initials "R P".
In 1845 the nave, chancel and north aisle were all demolished. 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
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
style bell-chamber was added to the top of the tower. All were designed by the Gothic Revival architect
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
Benjamin Ferrey
Benjamin Ferrey
Benjamin Ferrey, F.S.A., F.R.I.B.A. was an English architect who worked mostly in the Gothic Revival.-Family:Benjamin Ferrey was the youngest son of Benjamin Ferrey Snr, a draper who became Mayor of Christchurch. He was educated at Wimborne Grammar School....
, who included carved "Norfolk angels" supporting the nave roof and eight papier maché elephants' heads appearing to support the aisle roof.
Wickham House
A rectory at Wickham seems to have been built during the reign of Henry IIHenry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
(between 1154 and 1189). 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
Bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room, either square or polygonal in plan. The angles most commonly used on the inside corners of the bay are 90, 135 and 150 degrees. Bay windows are often associated with Victorian architecture...
. The Jacobean pulpit from St. Swithun's was dismantled and its panels used to make a cupboard in the servants' hall of the house.
In 1852 St. Gregory's parish church at Welford was also demolished and a new Gothic Revival church built in its place. Extensive carved stonework was salvaged from St. Gregory's and re-used to decorate the rectory garden at Wickham. A vinery was built using six Perpendicular Gothic windows, five being 15th century originals and the sixth a modern copy. A 15th century doorway and some 13th century windows were also included in the vinery. Elsewhere in the garden two 15th century piers from the south aisle and many other fragments from St. Gregory's were set up.
The remains of St. Gregory's were still in the rectory garden in 1924 but all had been demolished before 1966, along with the tall spire on the house. The building is no longer a rectory and is now called Wickham House.
Social and economic history
The Domesday Book recorded five mills in the manor of Welford, but it is not clear if any of these were at Wickham. No later record is known of any mill in the parish.By 1275-76 an annual royal fair was held at Wickham. In 1924 there was still an annual Wickham Feast on Saint Swithun's patronal festival, 15th July.
An open field system
Open field system
The open field system was the prevalent agricultural system in much of Europe from the Middle Ages to as recently as the 20th century in some places, particularly Russia and Iran. Under this system, each manor or village had several very large fields, farmed in strips by individual families...
of farming prevailed until 1820, when the common land
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
s of Wickham and most of the rest of Welford parish were inclosed.
By 1924 Welford parish had an elementary school and it was at Wickham.