Parker's Corner and Beenham Lane in 1762

 

Today we think of Parker's Corner as the area around the junction of Bostock Lane and the road from Theale over Common Hill (bottom right corner of the picture) but as can be seen there were no buildings there in 1762. There was then a very significant double bend just further up the hill, though, and another just beyond that so it is likely that one of these was the original Parker's Corner. The derivation of the name "Parker" is sometimes taken to be a reference to the occupation of park keeper but Parker's Corner pre-dates the creation of the deer park and there was a Parker's Farm with land around here before 1771 because in August that year it was advertised for sale, along with Dunts's Farm, because the owner Edward Clarke was bankrupt.

 

Before 1802 the road from Parker's Corner did not go right over the hill but ran only up the south side as far as a tee-junction with the Beenham Lane just before the brow of the hill. This was originally called Blyth's Hill and is shown on Ballard's map (left)  with the course of the modern roads added in yellow. Beenham Lane runs right to left across the top of the picture and that part of it running from Englefield House to the junction was closed up (though the line is still visible today), probably after Blyth's Hill was extended in both directions, linking the Bath Road to the Bourne bridge in 1802. The remainder of it continued as a public road until late in the 20th century but is now only a gated track.

 

Highlighted in red on the map are the buildings shown by Ballard. Just before the first sharp bend is a cluster of four and it is possible that one of these was Parker's Farm house because there was certainly a smallholding here until 1891. Further up the hill, just before a road goes off to the left, are three more buildings and further up another cluster of four. It is also possible that either of these groups was the original Parker's Farm. Along the road to the left is another, which may have been the house of Mr Blyth for later it was known as Blyth's Cottage. A little further up the hill is another group of four and still further up the hill and away from the road is a single isolated building just at the bottom of the steep slope. All these buildings are also shown on the plan for straightening out the bends on the hill a little later in the century.

 

A little way along Beenham Lane west of the junction was Goff's Farm and further along the lane on the opposite side is a cluster of three more buildings.