Waltham St. Lawrence at Its Entrance We Have Middle Lodge, Which Dates from the Th Early 19 C
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Shottesbrooke Park is a civil parish with 61 dwellings, its’ own Church and in the 2011 census it boasted a population Walks into History of 141. The park covers 1.92 sq. miles and has always been defined for agriculture or ‘other green space’. Waltham St. Lawrence At its entrance we have Middle Lodge, which dates from the th early 19 C. The building has a coped gable with chequered The Anglo-Saxons first inhabited Weycock Hill, with evidence of occupation until AD270. The flint and stone tympanum (decorative wall surface over door name, Waltham St. Lawrence being derived from the Anglo-Saxon words ‘Wealt’ and ‘Ham’, or window). meaning dilapidated homes. There is evidence of a large Roman Temple in Weycock Field with excavations revealing coins, pots, rings and many pieces of tiles and pottery. Waltham St. The manor goes back to Saxon times when it was owned by Alward, Lawrence is directly on the ‘Camlet Way’, the Roman road from St Albans to Silchester. the Royal Goldsmith. He The manor was possessed by the Normans after the conquest and is mentioned as early AD940. was allowed to keep his Documents show ‘Ethleread the Unready’ commenced with its sale in 1006 but it was never manor after the Norman completed and the Domesday Book lists it as being held by the King – with subsequent records Conquest – the Saxon until 1189, when it was sold to the Bishop of Winchester. He surrendered it to the Crown in 1551 Royal Regalia was made with the King ‘donating’ it to Sir Henry Neville, one of the Gentlemen of His Privy Chamber. The here. The Manor House Nevilles went on to build Billingbear House, which sadly burnt down in the early 20thC, with has always housed notable Neville’s descendants’ becoming ‘The Lords Braybrooke’. gentlemen and their families; a 17thC Speaker of the House of Commons and other prominent local families, namely The Cherrys, The Hearnes, and The Brockesbys – all favourites of the Monarch. The house has been changed and updated along the way with The Vansittarts making the most imposing alterations. The house was then passed to a relation by marriage, Sir John Smith, and it was he that founded The Landmark Trust, which still has its headquarters within the walled garden. The Collegiate Church of St John the Baptist was built by the Lord of Shottesbrooke Estate, Sir William Trusell, in 1337. It originally stood as part of an ecclesiastical college, supporting 5 chaplains and a pair of clerks. All that remains of that time is a small door in the south wall which leads to the covered walk way, linking the Church to the chaplain’s residence. Sir William was much taken to drink and scolded by his wife; he poured money into building St Johns until it was one of the finest decorated churches in Berkshire, with a spire meant to emulate that of Salisbury Cathedral. Sir William wanted a weather vane to stand atop the spire. The brazier who had built the vane, one Dicken Smith, said he would climb to mount it. He fixed the vane and called for a mug of ale to be sent up to toast the King. He quaffed the ale, raised the mug high in salute and fell. He lived long enough to utter the words ‘oh oh…’. He was buried where he fell, at the foot of the tower, with the gravestone inscribed ‘O.O.’ The moss covered slab can be found near the south transept by the path. Sir William and Lady Trussell are also laid to rest at the church. St Johns was almost destroyed by lightning in 1757 and not rebuilt until the 1870’s. Map from 1888 - ARCHIUK.com St. Lawrence Parish Church is mentioned in the Domesday Book and has a well know monument to the Nevilles. The Parish registers say that the yew tree was planted by Thomas The village Hall still Wilkinson, vicar of Waltham St Lawrence, in 1655 and there is a bears the historic Neville plaque on it. name. Our walk continues past White Waltham Airfield. The airfield has been in constant use since 1935, originally teaching students to fly De Havilland bi-planes and Tiger Moths, for the RAF Reserve. During the war the airfield was taken over by the Government and became the HQ for The Air Transport Auxiliary – records show that the ATA moved over 309,000 service aircraft to where they were needed. A permanent exhibition about this can be found in The Maidenhead Heritage Centre in Park Street. After the war a number of famous companies were housed here, Fairey Aviation and Fairey Air Surveys. The Gannet had its first flight at the airfield and the world’s first vertical take-off jet, the Two famous printers lived and worked in the village; Ralph Fairey Rotodyne, also had its test flight here in 1957. The RAF continued to occupy the airfields Newbury published the first book for children in 1744 and south side and Prince Philip learnt to fly here. RAF Home Command continued to train cadets in established a charitable trust for the poor. He donated the gliders and Chipmunks until the MOD sold it in 1982. It is now used as a private airfield for the historic Bell Inn for the benefit of the village in 1608 and West London Aero Club. the trust still operates today. There is a commemorative plaque by the entrance. Harold Taylor founded the Golden Cockerel Press. The engraver, Robert Gibbings was also a resident of the parish. Nevilles descendants, The Lords Braybrooke, donated the cattle pound in the centre of the village for general use. This gives rise The area is still very rural to the local saying ‘The Bell Inn is the only place where beer is and mainly agricultural. sold by the pound.’ The trees planted around it commemorate Queen Elizabeth II coronation. .