Aldermaston Court
Encyclopedia
Aldermaston Court is a country house built in the Victorian era
with incorporations from an earlier house, located in the village
of Aldermaston
in the English
county of Berkshire
. The house is now known as Aldermaston Manor and is run as a hotel and wedding venue.
; no records of the house at this time have survived. FitzAchard was a distinguished Norman soldier whose son built the north transept
in the parish church. According to the Pipe Rolls
of 1168, the name had become Aldermannestun. The Achard family hosted Henry III
at the manor in 1227, but later gave the parish church away to Monk Sherborne
Priory in Hampshire; the family are all buried at their secondary manor of Sparsholt
. The estate remained in the family for over 250 years until Peter Achard died in 1361 without a male heir, when the estate was inherited by Thomas de la Mare, Achard's son-in-law.
, and became the High Sheriff of Berkshire
in 1370. His son was bestowed with this same position during Richard II
's reign in the late 14th century. Robert de la Mare, Thomas's grandson, married into the Brocas family of Beaurepaire
, near Bramley
, and was made a Knight of the Shire by Henry V
. Robert's son was the last of the de la Mare lineage, and a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre.
Elizabeth de la Mare, whose male relatives predeceased her, inherited Aldermaston. She married into the Forster
family from Northumberland
. Stephen Forster, an ancestor, had previously become the Lord Mayor of London
in 1454.
near Henley
.
When Elizabeth and George married, George became the owner of Aldermaston Manor along with other manors previously owned by the De la Mare family. He was knighted by Henry VII
in 1501, becoming Sheriff of Berkshire and Oxford in 1517. He was made a Knight of the Bath in 1525. His assumed wealth meant that he was part of Henry VIII
's entourage at the Field of the Cloth of Gold
. George was succeeded by his son, Humphrey II, in 1533.
During Humphrey II's lordship, he faced strong disputes with Francis Parkyns (alternatively spelled "Perkins"), who was the brother of the Squire of Ufton
and tenant of nearby Padworth Manor. Parkyns was unhappy with Forster's "over-lordship" of Aldermaston, and Forster retaliated by breaking into Parkyns's house and severely assaulting him while he ate breakfast. Anne Parkyns, Francis's wife, begged for his life. Forster – along with an armed entourage – dragged Francis to Ufton, where the family of his brother Richard were breakfasting. More violence broke out, with Lady Marvyn – Richard's wive – also begging for Francis's life to be spared. Francis was eventually taken to Aldermaston where he was jailed in the lock-up behind the village pub.
Humphrey was later succeeded by his son, William
(who married Jane, daughter of Anthony Hungerford).
Elizabeth I
visited Aldermaston twice. Her first visit, in 1558, was during the lordship of William, and the second – in 1592 – during his son Humphrey III's tenure.
Humphrey III's son, William II, fathered a son – Humphrey IV – in 1595. He and his wife Anne began building a mansion house, known as Aldermaston House, in 1618 by laying a new cornerstone
. The house was completed in 1636, and was dedicated with a short verse:
Aldermaston saw a lot of activity during the English Civil War
. In 1643, after the First Battle of Newbury
, Robert Devereux
's Parliamentarians
were attacked by Prince Rupert of the Rhine
in Padworth Lane. The road is now known as Red Lane, having taken its name from the bloodshed.
In October of the following year, a regiment of Parliamentary troops under the command Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester
camped in the Aldermaston area. They were defending the crossing at the River Kennet
, an operation that came about due to Humphrey Forster's staunch Royalist
support. After the civil war, all the estates were sequestered because of these affiliations, and were not returned until 1660. Humphrey IV died in 1663.
In 1780, Ralph Congreve died and the estate passed to his second-cousin, William (a relation of the dramatist of the same name
). Many changes to their estate occurred during the William's ownership. The lake by the house was created by damming the stream. The wrought-iron Eagle Gates, at the north-east of the estate, were won at a game of cards and moved to their present location from Midgham
. In order to install them, the estate's north-east lodge (a dower house
) was dissected (removing the 60 square metres (645.8 sq ft) centre section). The estate's east gates are known as the Charity Gates; Congreve's daughters frequently sat by the gates and gave alms
to the poor.
In approximately 1800, Congreve had a stable block built due west of the house; this is still standing and is used as office space.
William Congreve's butler at Aldermaston House, John Manning, died on 31 August 1811. Congreve erected the headstone
on his grave in the village churchyard.
On 13 January 1843, a serious fire destroyed more than a third of the manor house. William Congreve never recovered from the fire and died the same year. The Congreve name is retained in the name of a cul-de-sac
in the village.
, and was eventually purchased in 1849 by Daniel Higford Davall Burr. Since 1836, Burr had owned the Alvington
estate in Gloucestershire
(having inherited it upon his mother's death). Burr's ancestors, the Higford family, had previously owned Alvington between the 17th and 19th centuries.
Burr was somewhat eccentric, and kept monkeys and snakes as pets. He commissioned Philip Charles Hardwick
to build a new manor house at Aldermaston in a Neoclassical style
; the present mansion house was built using as much of the old material as possible that had been saved from the fire.
Around this time, the National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland noted that the village may have been known as Admiston.
Burr died on 29 November 1885 at the age of 74, and the estate passed to his son, Higford Higford (who, rather than taking his father's surname, assumed the name of a distant ancestor). Higford only lived at Aldermaston for a few years before putting it up for sale. He sold Alvington in 1912.
, a stockbroker and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. Keyser, who was born on 10 September 1847 and came from Hertfordshire
had previously established a successful career in the City of London
, having gained a Master's Degree in Law at Cambridge University. His accumulated wealth allowed him to specialise in his chosen area, and became a distinguished figure in English Church Architecture – specialising in mediæval churches.
Keyser's attention was drawn to Aldermaston by his sister Agnes, who said that the court reminded her of her stay at Sandringham House
. Keyser seized the opportunity to buy the estate when it was put up for sale at the Hind's Head.
Keyser died in 1929, at the age of 81. His death certificate
lists the place of death as Bucklebury
. At the time of his death, estate duties were high. Keyser's estate was valued at £770,000, resulting in a death duty of £150,000. The income from the estate would not have equalled the cost to maintain its day-to-day running. Keyser's wife, Mary died in 1938. Their son, Charles Norman Keyser, had no interest in running the estate and his heavy asthma
led him to move to Adderbury
near Banbury
. Muriel and Sybil, the Keyser daughters, had expensive taste with racehorses and ponies, and Charles Norman sold the whole estate to a syndicate, Messrs Cribble, Booth and Shepherd, for £100,000. The syndicate auctioned the estate off in separate lots at Reading Town Hall
, beginning on 20 September 1939. Many of the lots were bought by their occupants. The house and its immediate grounds were bought by Associated Electrical Industries
(AEI) for £16,000.
, and incorporated the figured wooden staircase, some stained glass, and the chimney stacks from the 1636 house, which was later demolished.
Charles Keyser bought the house in 1893 and lived there until his death in 1929. The house was empty for ten years before being bought by a company, Associated Electrical Industries
(A.E.I.). Shortly after the outbreak of World War II
, the British government requisitioned the estate and built RAF Aldermaston
south of the manor house. During the war, the USAAF
HQ XIX Tactical Air Command
was stationed at the house, and there were anti-aircraft batteries stationed on the grounds.
After the war, the manor house and immediate grounds were returned to A.E.I., who used it as a research laboratory. They built the MERLIN reactor
between the house and the lake – the first commercial scientific reactor in Britain, which was opened on 6 November 1959 by Prince Philip. The bulk of the estate remained an airfield owned by BOAC
, who operated it as a pilot training academy and – from 1947 to 1950 – a civilian airport. Air use subsequently transferred to Blackbushe
and Luton Airports. and went on to become the Atomic Weapons Establishment
.
After AEI's purchase of the manor, it was requisitioned by the government and used as a barracks for the Women's Land Army
. The extensive parkland was also sold, but very soon afterwards was chosen by the government as a site for an airfield, RAF Aldermaston
. RAF Aldermaston was designated as a satellite air field for RAF Andover
.
Collier Macmillan Schools bought the estate in 1965.) In 1967, the house became a Grade II* listed building. Blue Circle Industries bought the estate in the 1980s. They restored the house, and converted its usage into a hotel and conference centre. They also built an office complex on the estate near to the stable block, called Portland House, which won an award from The Concrete Society in 1986.
Holaw (420) Ltd., the present owners, bought the estate in 1997. The house, now formally known as 'Aldermaston Manor', continues to operate as a hotel and conference centre, and also as a popular venue for weddings. It is managed by the Compass Group
of companies.
Within the grounds are a number of ancient oak trees.
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
with incorporations from an earlier house, located in the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of Aldermaston
Aldermaston
Aldermaston is a rural village, civil parish and electoral ward in Berkshire, South-East England. In the 2001 United Kingdom Census, the parish had a population of 927. The village is on the southern edge of the River Kennet flood plain, near the Hampshire county boundary...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. The house is now known as Aldermaston Manor and is run as a hotel and wedding venue.
The Achard Family (11th century – 1361)
Robert FitzAchard (1070-1161) was granted the Aldermaston estate in 1100 by Henry I of EnglandHenry 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...
; no records of the house at this time have survived. FitzAchard was a distinguished Norman soldier whose son built the north transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
in the parish church. According to the Pipe Rolls
Pipe Rolls
The Pipe rolls, sometimes called the Great rolls, are a collection of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, or Treasury. The earliest date from the 12th century, and the series extends, mostly complete, from then until 1833. They form the oldest continuous series of records kept by...
of 1168, the name had become Aldermannestun. The Achard family hosted Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
at the manor in 1227, but later gave the parish church away to Monk Sherborne
Monk Sherborne
Monk Sherborne is a village in north Hampshire, England.Sherborne Priory is the burial place of William of Drogheada.-Governance:Monk Sherborne is a civil parish and is part of the Sherborne St. John ward of Basingstoke and Deane borough council. The borough council is a Non-metropolitan district...
Priory in Hampshire; the family are all buried at their secondary manor of Sparsholt
Sparsholt, Hampshire
Sparsholt is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. The village lies to the west of Winchester, and has a population of 967.Sparsholt College, a leading land-based college and home to the BBC Radio 4 Gardeners' Question Time 'potting shed', is located on the outskirts of the village. The...
. The estate remained in the family for over 250 years until Peter Achard died in 1361 without a male heir, when the estate was inherited by Thomas de la Mare, Achard's son-in-law.
The De la Mare Family (1361 – 1490)
De la Mare was from SomersetSomerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, and became the High Sheriff of Berkshire
High Sheriff of Berkshire
The High Sheriff of Berkshire, in common with other counties, was originally the King's representative on taxation upholding the law in Saxon times. The word Sheriff evolved from 'shire-reeve'....
in 1370. His son was bestowed with this same position during Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
's reign in the late 14th century. Robert de la Mare, Thomas's grandson, married into the Brocas family of Beaurepaire
Beaurepaire, Hampshire
Beaurepaire is a country estate near Bramley in Hampshire, England.- History :Beaurepaire was owned by the Brocas family from Aquitaine for approximately 500 years....
, near Bramley
Bramley
- Places :England* Bramley, Derbyshire* Bramley, Hampshire* Bramley, Rotherham, South Yorkshire* Bramley, Sheffield, South Yorkshire* Bramley, Surrey* Bramley, West Yorkshire**Bramley Buffaloes rugby league clubSouth Africa* Bramley, Gauteng- Other uses :...
, and was made a Knight of the Shire by Henry V
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
. Robert's son was the last of the de la Mare lineage, and a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre.
Elizabeth de la Mare, whose male relatives predeceased her, inherited Aldermaston. She married into the Forster
Forster
Forster may refer to:* Forster, New South Wales, a town in Australia* Forster , several people with the surname* Forster Music Publisher, Inc., a sheet music publisher founded in 1916 based in Chicago...
family from Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
. Stephen Forster, an ancestor, had previously become the Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
in 1454.
The Forster Family (1490 - 1752)
Elizabeth's husband, George Forster, was the son of Sir Humphrey Forster I from HarpsdenHarpsden
Harpsden is a village and civil parish just south of Henley-on-Thames in South Oxfordshire.-History:Remains of a Roman villa have been found about southwest of the village....
near Henley
Henley
- Places :UK:*Henley-on-Thames, a town in South Oxfordshire, England**Henley Rural District, a former rural district in Oxfordshire*Henley-in-Arden, a village in Warwickshire, England*Henley, Suffolk, a village in Suffolk, England...
.
When Elizabeth and George married, George became the owner of Aldermaston Manor along with other manors previously owned by the De la Mare family. He was knighted by Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
in 1501, becoming Sheriff of Berkshire and Oxford in 1517. He was made a Knight of the Bath in 1525. His assumed wealth meant that he was part of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
's entourage at the Field of the Cloth of Gold
Field of the Cloth of Gold
The Field of Cloth of Gold is the name given to a place in Balinghem, between Guînes and Ardres, in France, near Calais. It was the site of a meeting that took place from 7 June to 24 June 1520, between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France. The meeting was arranged to increase...
. George was succeeded by his son, Humphrey II, in 1533.
During Humphrey II's lordship, he faced strong disputes with Francis Parkyns (alternatively spelled "Perkins"), who was the brother of the Squire of Ufton
Ufton Court
Ufton Court is an Elizabethan manor house at Ufton Nervet in the English county of Berkshire. Today is it used by an educational charity, The Ufton Court Educational Trust. Other than historical education, the site hosts creative projects too including theatre and music courses.Parts of the house...
and tenant of nearby Padworth Manor. Parkyns was unhappy with Forster's "over-lordship" of Aldermaston, and Forster retaliated by breaking into Parkyns's house and severely assaulting him while he ate breakfast. Anne Parkyns, Francis's wife, begged for his life. Forster – along with an armed entourage – dragged Francis to Ufton, where the family of his brother Richard were breakfasting. More violence broke out, with Lady Marvyn – Richard's wive – also begging for Francis's life to be spared. Francis was eventually taken to Aldermaston where he was jailed in the lock-up behind the village pub.
Humphrey was later succeeded by his son, William
William Forster (English politician)
William Forster was an English politician and high sheriff.William was the son of Sir Humphrey Forster of Aldermaston House in Berkshire and father of Sir Humphrey Forster. In 1572 to 1583, during the reign of Elizabeth I of England, he was the Member of Parliament for Berkshire. He was also...
(who married Jane, daughter of Anthony Hungerford).
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
visited Aldermaston twice. Her first visit, in 1558, was during the lordship of William, and the second – in 1592 – during his son Humphrey III's tenure.
Humphrey III's son, William II, fathered a son – Humphrey IV – in 1595. He and his wife Anne began building a mansion house, known as Aldermaston House, in 1618 by laying a new cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
. The house was completed in 1636, and was dedicated with a short verse:
Aldermaston saw a lot of activity during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. In 1643, after the First Battle of Newbury
First Battle of Newbury
The First Battle of Newbury was a battle of the First English Civil War that was fought on 20 September 1643 between a Royalist army, under the personal command of King Charles, and a Parliamentarian force led by the Earl of Essex...
, Robert Devereux
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex was an English Parliamentarian and soldier during the first half of the seventeenth century. With the start of the English Civil War in 1642 he became the first Captain-General and Chief Commander of the Parliamentarian army, also known as the Roundheads...
's Parliamentarians
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
were attacked by Prince Rupert of the Rhine
Prince Rupert of the Rhine
Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, 1st Duke of Cumberland, 1st Earl of Holderness , commonly called Prince Rupert of the Rhine, KG, FRS was a noted soldier, admiral, scientist, sportsman, colonial governor and amateur artist during the 17th century...
in Padworth Lane. The road is now known as Red Lane, having taken its name from the bloodshed.
In October of the following year, a regiment of Parliamentary troops under the command Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester
Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester
Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester KG, KB, FRS was an important commander of Parliamentary forces in the First English Civil War, and for a time Oliver Cromwell's superior.-Life:...
camped in the Aldermaston area. They were defending the crossing at the River Kennet
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...
, an operation that came about due to Humphrey Forster's staunch Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
support. After the civil war, all the estates were sequestered because of these affiliations, and were not returned until 1660. Humphrey IV died in 1663.
The Congreve family (1752 - 1843)
By 1752 the Forster male line died out and the estate passed to Ralph Congreve – the husband of Sir Humphrey's grand-niece.In 1780, Ralph Congreve died and the estate passed to his second-cousin, William (a relation of the dramatist of the same name
William Congreve
William Congreve was an English playwright and poet.-Early life:Congreve was born in Bardsey, West Yorkshire, England . His parents were William Congreve and his wife, Mary ; a sister was buried in London in 1672...
). Many changes to their estate occurred during the William's ownership. The lake by the house was created by damming the stream. The wrought-iron Eagle Gates, at the north-east of the estate, were won at a game of cards and moved to their present location from Midgham
Midgham
Midgham is a village and civil parish in the Kennet Valley about 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...
. In order to install them, the estate's north-east lodge (a dower house
Dower house
On an estate, a dower house is usually a moderately large house available for use by the widow of the estate-owner. The widow, often known as the "dowager" usually moves into the dower house from the larger family house on the death of her husband if the heir is married, and upon his marriage if he...
) was dissected (removing the 60 square metres (645.8 sq ft) centre section). The estate's east gates are known as the Charity Gates; Congreve's daughters frequently sat by the gates and gave alms
Alms
Alms or almsgiving is a religious rite which, in general, involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue.It exists in a number of religions. In Philippine Regions, alms are given as charity to benefit the poor. In Buddhism, alms are given by lay people to monks and nuns to...
to the poor.
In approximately 1800, Congreve had a stable block built due west of the house; this is still standing and is used as office space.
William Congreve's butler at Aldermaston House, John Manning, died on 31 August 1811. Congreve erected the headstone
Headstone
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. In most cases they have the deceased's name, date of birth, and date of death inscribed on them, along with a personal message, or prayer.- Use :...
on his grave in the village churchyard.
On 13 January 1843, a serious fire destroyed more than a third of the manor house. William Congreve never recovered from the fire and died the same year. The Congreve name is retained in the name of a cul-de-sac
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
in the village.
The Burr family (1849 - 1893)
The property passed into the Court of ChanceryCourt of Chancery
The Court of Chancery was a court of equity in England and Wales that followed a set of loose rules to avoid the slow pace of change and possible harshness of the common law. The Chancery had jurisdiction over all matters of equity, including trusts, land law, the administration of the estates of...
, and was eventually purchased in 1849 by Daniel Higford Davall Burr. Since 1836, Burr had owned the Alvington
Alvington
Alvington is a village and civil parish in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England, situated on the A48 road, six miles north-east of Chepstow in Wales. The parish has a total population of 484.- History of Alvington:...
estate in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
(having inherited it upon his mother's death). Burr's ancestors, the Higford family, had previously owned Alvington between the 17th and 19th centuries.
Burr was somewhat eccentric, and kept monkeys and snakes as pets. He commissioned Philip Charles Hardwick
Philip Charles Hardwick
-Life:Philip Charles Hardwick was a notable English architect of the 19th century who was once described as "a careful and industrious student of mediaeval art"...
to build a new manor house at Aldermaston in a Neoclassical style
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
; the present mansion house was built using as much of the old material as possible that had been saved from the fire.
Around this time, the National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland noted that the village may have been known as Admiston.
Burr died on 29 November 1885 at the age of 74, and the estate passed to his son, Higford Higford (who, rather than taking his father's surname, assumed the name of a distant ancestor). Higford only lived at Aldermaston for a few years before putting it up for sale. He sold Alvington in 1912.
The Keyser family (1893 - 1938)
In 1893, the estate was bought for £160,000 by Charles Edward KeyserCharles Edward Keyser
Charles Edward Keyser FSA was a British stockbroker and authority on English church architecture. In his later life, he became Lord of the Manor of Aldermaston in the English county of Berkshire.- Biography :...
, a stockbroker and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. Keyser, who was born on 10 September 1847 and came from Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
had previously established a successful career in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, having gained a Master's Degree in Law at Cambridge University. His accumulated wealth allowed him to specialise in his chosen area, and became a distinguished figure in English Church Architecture – specialising in mediæval churches.
Keyser's attention was drawn to Aldermaston by his sister Agnes, who said that the court reminded her of her stay at Sandringham House
Sandringham House
Sandringham House is a country house on of land near the village of Sandringham in Norfolk, England. The house is privately owned by the British Royal Family and is located on the royal Sandringham Estate, which lies within the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.-History and current...
. Keyser seized the opportunity to buy the estate when it was put up for sale at the Hind's Head.
Keyser died in 1929, at the age of 81. His death certificate
Death certificate
The phrase death certificate can describe either a document issued by a medical practitioner certifying the deceased state of a person or popularly to a document issued by a person such as a registrar of vital statistics that declares the date, location and cause of a person's death as later...
lists the place of death as Bucklebury
Bucklebury
Bucklebury is a village and civil parish in West Berkshire. The village is about north-east of Newbury and about north of the A4 road. It has a population of 2,066.-Geography:...
. At the time of his death, estate duties were high. Keyser's estate was valued at £770,000, resulting in a death duty of £150,000. The income from the estate would not have equalled the cost to maintain its day-to-day running. Keyser's wife, Mary died in 1938. Their son, Charles Norman Keyser, had no interest in running the estate and his heavy asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
led him to move to Adderbury
Adderbury
Adderbury is a large village and civil parish in northern Oxfordshire, England. It is about south of Banbury and from Junction 10 of the M40 motorway. The village is divided in two by the Sor Brook. The village consists of two neighbourhoods: West Adderbury and East Adderbury...
near Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
. Muriel and Sybil, the Keyser daughters, had expensive taste with racehorses and ponies, and Charles Norman sold the whole estate to a syndicate, Messrs Cribble, Booth and Shepherd, for £100,000. The syndicate auctioned the estate off in separate lots at Reading Town Hall
Reading Town Hall
Reading Town Hall is the town hall for the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. The town hall was built in several phases between 1786 and 1897, although the principal facade was designed by Alfred Waterhouse in 1875...
, beginning on 20 September 1939. Many of the lots were bought by their occupants. The house and its immediate grounds were bought by Associated Electrical Industries
Associated Electrical Industries
Associated Electrical Industries was a British holding company formed in 1928 through the merger of the British Thomson-Houston Company and Metropolitan-Vickers electrical engineering companies...
(AEI) for £16,000.
The present house
Daniel Higford Burr bought the estate in 1848. He and his wife Mary built Aldermaston Court about 50 metres south of the previous house. They built the house in the Elizabethan styleElizabethan architecture
Elizabethan architecture is the term given to early Renaissance architecture in England, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Historically, the period corresponds to the Cinquecento in Italy, the Early Renaissance in France, and the Plateresque style in Spain...
, and incorporated the figured wooden staircase, some stained glass, and the chimney stacks from the 1636 house, which was later demolished.
Charles Keyser bought the house in 1893 and lived there until his death in 1929. The house was empty for ten years before being bought by a company, Associated Electrical Industries
British Thomson-Houston
British Thomson-Houston was a British engineering and heavy industrial company, based at Rugby, Warwickshire, England. They were known primarily for their electrical systems and steam turbines. They were merged with the similar Metropolitan-Vickers company in 1928, but the two maintained their own...
(A.E.I.). Shortly after the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the British government requisitioned the estate and built RAF Aldermaston
RAF Aldermaston
RAF Aldermaston was a World War II airfield. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Eighth and Ninth Air Force as a troop carrier group base, and was assigned USAAF station No 467.-Origins:...
south of the manor house. During the war, the USAAF
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
HQ XIX Tactical Air Command
XIX Tactical Air Command
The XIX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The unit's last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force based at Biggs Field, Texas...
was stationed at the house, and there were anti-aircraft batteries stationed on the grounds.
After the war, the manor house and immediate grounds were returned to A.E.I., who used it as a research laboratory. They built the MERLIN reactor
MERLIN reactor
MERLIN reactor was a 10MWt pool-type research reactor at Aldermaston Court, Aldermaston, Berkshire, England which operated from 6 November 1959 until 1962....
between the house and the lake – the first commercial scientific reactor in Britain, which was opened on 6 November 1959 by Prince Philip. The bulk of the estate remained an airfield owned by BOAC
Boac
Boac may refer to:* Boac, Marinduque, a municipality in the Southern Philippines* Boac , an American rapper* British Overseas Airways Corporation, a former British state-owned airline...
, who operated it as a pilot training academy and – from 1947 to 1950 – a civilian airport. Air use subsequently transferred to Blackbushe
Blackbushe Airport
Blackbushe Airport , in the civil parish of Yateley in the north-east corner of the English county of Hampshire, comprises an airfield, much reduced in size since its heyday, a British Car Auctions site, a kart track owned by Camberley Kart Club, and a small business park...
and Luton Airports. and went on to become the Atomic Weapons Establishment
Atomic Weapons Establishment
The Atomic Weapons Establishment is responsible for the design, manufacture and support of warheads for the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent. AWE plc is responsible for the day-to-day operations of AWE...
.
After AEI's purchase of the manor, it was requisitioned by the government and used as a barracks for the Women's Land Army
Women's Land Army
The Women's Land Army was a British civilian organisation created during the First and Second World Wars to work in agriculture replacing men called up to the military. Women who worked for the WLA were commonly known as Land Girls...
. The extensive parkland was also sold, but very soon afterwards was chosen by the government as a site for an airfield, RAF Aldermaston
RAF Aldermaston
RAF Aldermaston was a World War II airfield. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Eighth and Ninth Air Force as a troop carrier group base, and was assigned USAAF station No 467.-Origins:...
. RAF Aldermaston was designated as a satellite air field for RAF Andover
RAF Andover
Andover Airfield is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station. The ICAO code for the airfield is EGWA and the IATA code is ADV...
.
Collier Macmillan Schools bought the estate in 1965.) In 1967, the house became a Grade II* listed building. Blue Circle Industries bought the estate in the 1980s. They restored the house, and converted its usage into a hotel and conference centre. They also built an office complex on the estate near to the stable block, called Portland House, which won an award from The Concrete Society in 1986.
Holaw (420) Ltd., the present owners, bought the estate in 1997. The house, now formally known as 'Aldermaston Manor', continues to operate as a hotel and conference centre, and also as a popular venue for weddings. It is managed by the Compass Group
Compass Group
Compass Group plc is a global contract foodservice and support services company headquartered near London, United Kingdom. It is the largest contract foodservice company in the world and has operations in over 50 countries...
of companies.
Within the grounds are a number of ancient oak trees.
Further reading
- Royal Berkshire History: Aldermaston Court
- Aldermaston Manor—the website of Aldermaston Manor