West Berkshire Heritage

24/04/2025

In celebration and commemoration of VE Day 80 (8 May 2025), New Era Players and West Berkshire Museum offer: A Day to Remember. Performance days/times: Wednesday 7 May, 1pm and 7pm & Thursday 8 May, 1pm and 7pm.

The New Era Players will be performing readings of extracts, poems and songs of World War II, bringing to life the memories, thoughts and feelings of the people who lived through the experiences of wartime.

New Era Players is a friendly, enthusiastic and talented local theatre group, based in a small but charming theatre in Wash Common, Newbury. The group put on a wide variety of plays four times a year.

Tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance (£5). To book: https://buff.ly/33Ld6q0 Bookings close 4pm the day before the performance(s).

24/04/2025

Save the date for the Shaw House Open Days where you will have the opportunity to access many areas of the House which are not usually open to the public, including the ‘Forbidden Corridor’ on the second floor and the basement tunnel running along the length of the House and the Elizabethan bake house.

The bake house was discovered during restoration and is one of the very special features of Shaw House. Public access is not usually possible due to its location below the café but during the open days you will have the chance to climb below the ground floor and discover the well preserved elements of the 16th century kitchen.

You can also visit the exhibition rooms and our historic costume exhibition ‘Dressed for Shaw’ and the English Civil War arms and armoury exhibition ‘Dressed for Battle’. There is no need to book to explore the rest of the House and exhibitions.

Sunday 25 & Monday 26 May | 11am – 4pm | Free

Bake house viewings: 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, free but booking essential: https://tinyurl.com/cmay6t45

24/04/2025

Calling all outdoor and green-fingered enthusiasts!

We are looking for more volunteers to join our Community Garden group to help with watering and maintaining the Tudor Gardens at Shaw House.

If you have some time to spare and would like to get involved or would like some more information please get in touch by email [email protected] or call 07553810133.

24/04/2025

Join us to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day with a family picnic, trail and crafts.

Younger visitors can collect a ration card and follow an outdoor trail to find the clues, once the card has been completed, they can collect their free sweet rations!

There will also be craft activities where you can decorate a crown or flag ready for the celebrations.

The House and exhibition rooms will be open with a special display exploring the requisition of Shaw House by the War Office in 1939 and its subsequent use as a school for displaced children.

Families are welcome to bring a picnic and enjoy the grounds and the café will also be open selling light refreshments and treats.

Sunday 11 May | 11am – 3pm | No need to book, just drop-in | Free, with thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Fund.

24/04/2025

Are you a maker, crafter, brewer or baker? We are delighted to announce that applications for our Summer Fair are now open, if you would be interested in booking a stall space please email [email protected] for details on how to apply. The Fair is due to take place on Sunday 20 July from 11am until 4pm.

The closing date for applications is Monday 12 May at 5pm and there are limited spaces, so be quick!

23/04/2025

22/04/2025

Come and join us! 😀

09/04/2025

Elliott's of (EoN) built aircraft components during World War Two, including Spitfire parts and Horsa gliders used on D-Day: www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MWB21984&resourceID=1030. A fascinating film about this is available to watch online, thanks to Archives - Hampshire County Council and West Berkshire Museum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90eVcVDtWpY&t=1s.

During the Second World War, employees of Samuel Elliot's were required to wear badges when entering and exiting the factory. The letter on the badge indicated which air raid shelter they were assigned to. If an employee was not wearing their badge, the gatekeeper would stop them, and they would have to wait for the Foreman to come and identify them.

04/04/2025

04/04/2025

Our hugely popular guided tours are back! We have nine dates lined up for 2025:

26th April
17th May
14th June
12th July
26th July
30th August
13th September
27th September
11th October

Tickets are just £5.50 (plus Eventbrite booking fee) and all dates are available to book now on our Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/air-base-heritage-walks-2025-4207843

01/04/2025

Come and visit our stand next week, on Tuesday 8 April! We're also giving a talk on the archaeology of the site. The event is free! 😀

There is a whole day of events celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Greenham Common on the 8th April. From walks on the common to talks in the tower, check out the website for more information!

31/03/2025

Tonight! 😀

Meet the Speaker- Step into Holybrook’s past with Beth Asbury

Are you a history enthusiast, curious about the archaeology of our parish, or simply love hearing local stories? Then you won’t want to miss the keynote presentation by Beth Asbury, Assistant Archaeologist at West Berkshire Council’s Historic Environment Record (HER) and Outreach team.

Beth, who grew up in Calcot, has spent years uncovering and documenting the district’s historic environment. From early settlements to modern urban development, she will reveal the fascinating past hidden beneath Holybrook Parish. With a background spanning the Pitt Rivers Museum, the University of Oxford’s Ashmolean, and even archaeological work in Egypt, Beth brings a wealth of expertise and a passion for local history.

Whether you’ve lived in Holybrook all your life or are new to the area, this talk will open your eyes to the incredible heritage beneath our feet.

Date: Monday, 31 March 2025
Location: Linear Hall, Beansheaf Community Centre Charrington Road RG31 7AW
Time: 7pm (Light refreshments at 6:45pm)

27/03/2025

Come along on Monday evening to hear us talk about the archaeology of parish. We can't wait! 😀

24/03/2025

That's us and Berkshire Portable Antiquities Scheme! 😀

21/03/2025

Today is . Please share your memories and knowledge of historic places in West Berkshire with us: www.westberks.gov.uk/report-heritage-issue or borrow a Reminiscence Box from West Berkshire Libraries. Library has a collection of nearly 40 themed boxes for you to borrow. You can view the full collection on the online catalogue: https://westberks.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/PAGE/WPAC/BIBENQ/806789/1, reserve the box of your choice to borrow for free and then pick it up when it's ready for you from your local library!

20/03/2025

The Scheduled late Neolithic or Bronze Age bowl barrow on Barrow Hill in is said to be occupied by fairies: www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MWB1562&resourceID=1030. In one tale, when a ploughman was away getting tools to mend his plough, the fairies of the barrow mended it for him! Finds from the barrow are now in the British Museum: www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1852-0421-1.

19/03/2025

It's AND ! According to a c. 1920s farming advice booklet on egg farming, Leckhampstead Farm, formerly Sonimor, in , had incubators of 6000 egg capacity and could produce over 800,000 eggs a year: www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MWB17797&resourceID=1030. It claimed to be the 'largest and best-equipped poultry-farm in the country'!