Four West Berkshire assets go forward for local listing decision

Four heritage assets in West Berkshire have been recommended for local listing.

The West Berkshire Heritage Forum selection panel met on Monday, August 23, at the Old Bluecoat School in Thatcham to decide which assets to add to the local list.

The list is a directory of heritage assets which the public and council believe have unique local architectural, archaeological or historic significance but aren’t statutory listed.

The four that have been added are:

• St Gabriel’s Convent Chapel in Cold Ash. It was built in 1926 by Wilfred Clarence Mangan, a prolific architect of Roman Catholic churches in this region, many of which are nationally listed.
• Baseball scorecard and bleachers at the John W Mello Diamond, Pigeon’s Farm Road, Greenham. The baseball pitch (diamond) was established for US servicemen stationed at the adjoining Greenham Common Airbase, and was renamed in 1981 in memory of John W Mello, who had died on duty there.
• The Dell, Upper Bucklebury. The Dell was the core of the garden of Bucklebury Place, built in 1895 to 1902 by Arthur Sutton, a partner in Sutton Seeds. The house and rest of the garden have been redeveloped, and The Dell is now the private garden of Lindens, originally the gardener’s house.
• Water pump, Linear Park, Beansheaf Community Centre, Calcot. This water pump, dating from about 1832/33, was moved in 2014 to Linear Park from London Road to permit road widening. It is around six feet high and has been excellently maintained. It was one of many installed along the turnpike road to lay the dust after coaches has passed.

The selection panel is made up of independent heritage experts who are not members or officers of West Berkshire Council or members of the Heritage Forum Committee.

The final decision on each recommendation will be taken by the West Berkshire Council head of planning.

Details of those which are approved will be recorded in the West Berkshire Historic Environment Record.

Heritage Forum chairman Anthony Pick said: "These recommendations for local listing include an attractive diversity of asset, and illustrate the depth of West Berkshire heritage.

“We are particularly pleased to have considered our first instance of a designed landscape which merits listing, supported by the Berkshire Gardens Trust.

“The Heritage Forum is very grateful to the owners of the assets, and also to proposers of the assets and the panel members for their consideration and judgement.

“The Heritage Forum welcomes suggestions from parish councils, heritage societies, and the public in West Berkshire for heritage assets, not listed by English Heritage, which are candidates for local listing.

“Suggestions should be forwarded to the forum secretary.”