Common Hill in 182

10

 

The part of Richard Benyon's map showing the area of Common Hill around the Bourne bridge is shown right; the River Bourne runs along the top edge. The road from Englefield comes in at bottom right past house number 14 and curves to the right down to the bridge just beyond house number 1.

 

The majority of the buildings are as shown on Ballard's plan of 1762 but entering from bottom left is the new road down from the junction with the Beenham Lane at the top of the hill and on it are four new houses (15-18). The new road joins the old one at the large Y-junction with the block of four houses in the middle. According to the key, each of these houses was occupied by a widow: respectively the widows Wilkins and Selwood, Waters, Bushel and Plum. On the 1762 map the road coming from Englefield is shown running on through the Common Hill Wood but that continuation is not shown here. That road still runs in 1844, however so that is probably an oversight. The road still does run through the wood, in fact, although the last few hundred yards connecting it to the public road have been obliterated.

 

The key shows that the houses 1-9 are occupied by, respectively: Lambden, William Painter, George Turton, John Cresswell, Thomas Wickens, widow Lucy Simmons, Wheeler, Daniel Bushel and John and Ann Bennet. From 10 to 13 are the five widows above. There is no name against 14 but the new houses 15-18 are occupied by: Thomas and Sarah Painter, David and Sarah Albury, Woodley (a later pencil entry against a blank space) and Painter - this last name crossed through in pencil and Bennet inserted.

 

Another part of the map shows part of the the Beenham Lane from its junction at the top of Common Hill (but not the part linking it to the old Bradfield Road at the junction just behind Englefield House).

 

The buildings of Goff's Farm are shown in pencil but no details are given and further down the lane on the opposite side is the house, home at this time to someone called Allen. This seems to have been a single house at this time but we know that by 1841 there were two houses, occupied by gamekeepers Thomas Farley and William Cox. They seem to have continued to be occupied by gamekeepers until they were demolished around 1892.