Kennet Valley East
This area covers the lower slopes of the Kennet Valley around and below Englefield, on the far eastern edge of the AONB.
There is an important possible Neolithic / Bronze Age ritual or funerary landscape at Aldermaston Wharf. Excavations at Ufton Bridge have produced rare settlement evidence dating to the Early Medieval period. Later Medieval and Post Medieval archaeology relates to the development of the Englefield Estate firstly as a Medieval deer park and later as a designed landscape. Huge changes have occurred in this area over the course of the 20th century. Only a very few examples of unaltered historic fields remain and they survive as islands within the current farming landscape.
Present Day Historic Landscape Character
Huge changes have occurred in this area over the course of the 20th century, the major factors being agricultural change.
Almost all fields have been altered either through re-organisation or boundary removal and, although traces of the historic fields survive, the fieldscapes of the area are modern in character.
Only a very few examples of unaltered historic fields remain and they survive as islands within the current farming landscape.
Layers in the Landscape
The area was formerly characterised by open fields on the lower slopes of the valley below the nucleated linear village of Englefield and around Midgham. These areas were enclosed into fields by the 18th century. Englefield Park began as a Medieval deer park and developed into a sizeable landscape park in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The earliest archaeological information from this area relates to Palaeolithic. A series of four contiguous ring ditches lie along a terrace of the River Kennet one was excavated and identified as an early Bronze Age Round Barrow. The area of fields to the south is associated with extensive mostly undated cropmarks which may be of later prehistoric date. Later Medieval and Post Medieval archaeology relates to the development of the Englefield Estate firstly as a Medieval deer park and later as a designed landscape.
Historic Settlement Character
The historic settlement pattern is nucleated with settlement on the higher slopes of the valley toward the north-western edge of the area.
Historic Farmstead Character
Large farms were present throughout the area and were mainly found in areas of early enclosure of open fields. Farmsteads typically consist of loose courtyard plans with detached buildings arranged around a yard.