Most people - and Fairfax certainly doesn't count in that category - would stay at an alehouse or an inn. Even in the 1640s Newbury had a good number of inns where your average gentry would stay when travelling through - I see no real reason for Fairfax not to stay at an inn.
Agreed; in those days there was a great deal of difference between a large and well-appointed inn, with accommodation and food, and a simple alehouse. These days they are all lumped under the title of 'pub'.
What about the former Castle Inn in the Old Bath Road? Was that in existence in 1646?
Sorry, I got the impression you were a Local...my mistake!
I think you mean Beenham House near Theale, that was my confusion. I suspect that it is a little too far East to have been on the route from the West Country to Oxford where he was travelling with the New Model Army to get one of the last Royalist pockets to surrender. It, Beenham, was certainly visited by the Roundhead soldiers during both the first and second battles of Newbury however.
I think you mean Beenham House near Theale, that was my confusion. I suspect that it is a little too far East to have been on the route from the West Country to Oxford where he was travelling with the New Model Army to get one of the last Royalist pockets to surrender. It, Beenham, was certainly visited by the Roundhead soldiers during both the first and second battles of Newbury however.
No! I meant Benham House....where my mother and father worked for Toby Sutton!
They offered him Benham Valence, built on the remains of Benham Manor, and in the grounds of Benham Park. But he insists that there's a Benham House somewhere.
Very true, but I suspect what we have here is 'local yokels' calling it by the wrong name. "Oh look it's a house in Benham Park..... it must be known as Benham House", when in fact, it's actual name was Benham Valence. (see links). It was, howerver, sold as the 'Mansion House' to Norsk Data. It's present occupants (2e2) also have the name 'The Mansion House' on their letter headings. (but that is to differentiate it from the buildings / companies/ workshops outback)
Yep, FF, that was the rebuilt one. (although I have to say the postcard looks nowt like what's standing there today) Assuming we accept that what was written in the London Gazette was totally accurate, we still seem to be at an impasse as to what existed on the spot or what it would have been called in 1646 though.
If the Wiki picture is the current manor house then there is a strong similarity to the one in the postcard.
Benham Place, recently called Benham Valence, is the seat of Sir Richard Sutton, bart., Speen House is the residence of the Rev. J. Lomax Gibbs, and there are many other houses of considerable size in the parish.
There is a well about 200 yards above the church, called 'Our Lady's Well,' whose waters are supposed to possess certain healing qualities. (fn. 6) In a 17thcentury conveyance there is mention of 'Weeping Cross closes, near the Weeping Cross, in the parish of Speen. (fn. 7)
In 1825 a skull, together with flint implements, was found in the peat at Benham Marsh, and in 1830 another skull was found there, opposite to Benham House. (fn. A dug-out canoe was found at Bagnor. (fn. 9)
Logged
Male
A dug-out canoe was found at Bagnor. (fn. 9)
