Aldermaston Property For Sale & Rent
ALDERMASTON in the county of Berkshire
is one of
the prettiest villages in the area. Above are thick woods, and below the River Kennet, while the
village street rises from the Hind's Head - an old 18th-cent. inn - at one end to the splendid 17th-cent.
lodges leading to Aldermaston Court. The church is nearby, among more magnificent trees, including cedars, yew and limes.
The original
Aldermaston Court was burnt down in the 19th cent, but the magnificent
17th-cent. carved staircase has been built into the new
19th-cent Tudor-style building. The house at one time
belonged to the Forsters, whom both Henry
VIII and Queen Elizabeth I visited.
Many of the family lie in the church this is a 12th-cent building, with a 13th-cent chancel, but
showing later work, the church is immensely long. In the south transept there is
an early-14th-cent painting of St Christopher fording the stream carrying the infant Christ.
The 16th-cent triptych showing the Adoration is Flemish, and there is also some
13th-cent. glass depicting the Annunciation and Coronation of
the Virgin, and a splendid
alabaster tomb to Sir George Forster who
died in 1526. He lies clad in armour
with a hind at his feet; beside him
lies his wife with her pet dog while below are carvings of their quite
enormous family.
Aldermast in 1770
produced the famous William pear by the village schoolmaster,
on the Kennet and Avon Canal the old wharf has great charm. The district has
obviously been important since early times, for there are still a good many remains
of ancient boundary earthworks,
probably made by 5th-cent. Britons in order to keep intruding
Saxons out. Grim's Bank, for example, starts one mile south east of the village, and in part still
reaches a height of 8 ft, as does
another earthwork set in Old Park, and
running for just under a mile.
Advertise property for sale or rent in
Aldermaston free.
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