Englefield, Berkshire
Encyclopedia
Englefield is a village
and civil parish in Berkshire
, England
. The village is mostly within the bounds of the private walled estate of Englefield House.
The village is situated in the district of West Berkshire
, close to Reading
. Other nearby places include Bradfield
and Theale
.
In 870, the village was the site of the Battle of Englefield
. This was fought between the Anglo-Saxons
, under Æthelwulf
, Ealdorman
of Berkshire, and the Danes
, and resulted in a resounding victory for the Saxons. The battle was the first of a series in the winter of 870-1. The village is thought to be named after the battle: Englefield meaning either "English field" or "warning beacon field".
Englefield House was the home of the Englefield family, supposedly from the time of King Edgar
. Sir Thomas Englefield
was the Speaker of the House of Commons
. In 1559, the house was confiscated from his grandson, Sir Francis Englefield
, a servant of the Catholic Queen Mary
, for "consorting with [the] enemies" of the new Protestant monarch, Elizabeth I. The family later lived at Whiteknights Park
in Earley
and continued to be buried in Englefield parish church until 1822.
Popular local tradition insists that the Queen granted Englefield to her spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, although there is no evidence of this. After a succession of short-lived residents, the estate was eventually purchased by John Paulet, 5th Marquess of Winchester
, famous for his Civil War
defence of Basing House
in Hampshire
. He retired to Englefield at the Restoration
and is buried in the parish church. From his Paulet descendants, the house passed, through marriage, to the Benyon family.
In the late 19th century, Richard Fellowes Benyon
rebuilt the villagers' houses as a model estate village and provided them with such amenities as a swimming pool, soup kitchen and a new school. Today the estate, owned by the Englefield Charitable Trust, covers some 20000 acres (8,093.7 ha), and its farm is one of the biggest benefactors in the UK of European Union
agricultural subsidies
.
Many of the Benyons have been Members of Parliament, including the current occupants of the main house, Sir William
, and his son, Richard Benyon
.
Englefield House has been used as part of films such as X-Men: First Class
and The King's Speech.
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...
and civil parish in 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...
, England
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...
. The village is mostly within the bounds of the private walled estate of Englefield House.
The village is situated in the district of West Berkshire
West Berkshire
West Berkshire is a local government district in the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England, governed by a unitary authority . Its administrative capital is Newbury, located almost equidistantly between Bristol and London.-Geography:...
, close to Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
. Other nearby places include Bradfield
Bradfield, Berkshire
Bradfield is a small village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. The parish also includes the now rather larger village of Bradfield Southend, and the hamlet of Tutts Clump....
and Theale
Theale, Berkshire
Theale is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. The village has many of the attributes of a small town, with a high street lined with shops, pubs and restaurants.- Location :...
.
In 870, the village was the site of the Battle of Englefield
Battle of Englefield
The Battle of Englefield was a battle on 31 December 870 at Englefield, near Reading in what is now the English county of Berkshire. It was one of a series of battles, with honours to both sides, that took place following an invasion of the then kingdom of Wessex by an army of Danes, during which...
. This was fought between the Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
, under Æthelwulf
Æthelwulf of Berkshire
Æthelwulf of Berkshire was a Saxon Ealdorman who, having mustered a force of 1400 men against an army of Danes, won the 31 December 870 Battle of Englefield on behalf of the then kingdom of Wessex. He received a land grant in 843/44 from Brihtwulf, king of Mercia; and lost his life at the Battle...
, Ealdorman
Ealdorman
An ealdorman is the term used for a high-ranking royal official and prior magistrate of an Anglo-Saxon shire or group of shires from about the ninth century to the time of King Cnut...
of Berkshire, and the Danes
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
, and resulted in a resounding victory for the Saxons. The battle was the first of a series in the winter of 870-1. The village is thought to be named after the battle: Englefield meaning either "English field" or "warning beacon field".
Englefield House was the home of the Englefield family, supposedly from the time of King Edgar
Edgar of England
Edgar the Peaceful, or Edgar I , also called the Peaceable, was a king of England . Edgar was the younger son of Edmund I of England.-Accession:...
. Sir Thomas Englefield
Thomas Englefield
Sir Thomas Englefield was Speaker of the House of Commons.He was born to John Englefield, probably in Englefield in Berkshire around 1455, whose family had been Lords of the Manor there for many generations...
was the Speaker of the House of Commons
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
. In 1559, the house was confiscated from his grandson, Sir Francis Englefield
Francis Englefield
Sir Francis Englefield was an English Roman Catholic politician.Born probably about 1520, he was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Englefield of Englefield, Berkshire, justice of the common pleas. His mother was Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Robert Throckmorton, one of the well-known Catholic family of...
, a servant of the Catholic Queen Mary
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
, for "consorting with [the] enemies" of the new Protestant monarch, Elizabeth I. The family later lived at Whiteknights Park
Whiteknights Park
Whiteknights Park, or the Whiteknights Campus of the University of Reading, is the principal campus of that university. The park covers the area of the manor of Earley Whiteknights, also known as Earley St Nicholas and Earley Regis.Whiteknights Park is some two miles south of the centre of the town...
in Earley
Earley
Earley is a town and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. The Office for National Statistics places Earley within the Reading/Wokingham Urban Area, for purposes of local government it falls within the Borough of Wokingham, outside of the jurisdiction of Reading Borough Council. The name...
and continued to be buried in Englefield parish church until 1822.
Popular local tradition insists that the Queen granted Englefield to her spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, although there is no evidence of this. After a succession of short-lived residents, the estate was eventually purchased by John Paulet, 5th Marquess of Winchester
John Paulet, 5th Marquess of Winchester
John Paulet, 5th Marquess of Winchester , styled Lord John Paulet until 1621 and Lord St John from 1621 to 1628 was third but eldest surviving son of William Paulet and his successor as 5th Marquess of Winchester....
, famous for his Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
defence of Basing House
Basing House
Basing House was a major Tudor palace and castle in the village of Old Basing in the English county of Hampshire. It once rivaled Hampton Court Palace in its size and opulence. Today only its foundations and earthworks remain...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. He retired to Englefield at the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
and is buried in the parish church. From his Paulet descendants, the house passed, through marriage, to the Benyon family.
In the late 19th century, Richard Fellowes Benyon
Richard Fellowes Benyon
Richard Fellowes Benyon , born Richard Fellowes, was a British Conservative politician and civil servant....
rebuilt the villagers' houses as a model estate village and provided them with such amenities as a swimming pool, soup kitchen and a new school. Today the estate, owned by the Englefield Charitable Trust, covers some 20000 acres (8,093.7 ha), and its farm is one of the biggest benefactors in the UK of European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
agricultural subsidies
Single Farm Payment
The Single Farm Payment is an agricultural subsidy paid to farmers in the EU.-History:Historically, the EU's Common Agricultural Policy emphasised direct subsidies for agricultural produce...
.
Many of the Benyons have been Members of Parliament, including the current occupants of the main house, Sir William
William Benyon
Sir William Richard Benyon is a retired British Conservative Party politician, Berkshire landowner and former High Sheriff...
, and his son, Richard Benyon
Richard Benyon
Richard Henry Ronald Benyon MRICS is a British Conservative Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for Newbury since 2005 and a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since May 2010.-Early life:Benyon was born in...
.
Englefield House has been used as part of films such as X-Men: First Class
X-Men: First Class
X-Men: First Class is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics starring the X-Men.-Publication history:The original series was an eight-issue limited series. It began in September 2006 and ended in April 2007. It was written by Jeff Parker and penciled by Roger Cruz...
and The King's Speech.