England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Beenham St Mary

The Parish

The parish of Beenham lies almost centrally within Berkshire, within that portion of the county which squeezes a narrow strip between Hampshire & Oxfordshire. Beenham is located roughly 8 miles west of the town of Reading and sits about 2 miles north of the A4 which links Reading with Newbury. Beenham is a rather linear village largely built along a winding lane on the low hills above the Kennet valley. Modern maps show large area of the parish set to woodland and this would have been important as traditional woodland management utilised soils which were often too poor for arable farming, the normal activity of the parish. Today the area is an attractive area for the wealthy commuter to near by Reading with many desirable large properties set amongst scenic coppices and hedgerows. Modern developments have largely skirted the parish, the Kennet & Avon canal together with the Great Western railway line from London to Bristol both run along the Kennet valley, the parish's southern boundary. A small stream drains Beenham southeastwards to the nearby Kennet which joins the Thames at Reading before passing through the capital to the North Sea. Beenham is sited at around 100 metres above the sea on something of a local high spot, land rises subtly to a high spot at 115 metres to the west. Beenham parish at just over 1,700 acres was a typical southern English rural parish supporting close to 400 parishioners. Beenham is not specifically mentioned in Domesday Book.

The Church

St Mary's church sits to the south of Beenham on a dead-end lane that proceeds beyond the church as a footpath headed for Aldermaston Wharf. The church is largely modern, the resut of twin disasters that saw it repeatedly destroyed by fires. Firstly the western tower was rebuilt following a fire of 1793, built in brick it is as Pevsner states "severely plain". Following a further fire in the 1850s the main body of the church was rebuilt in a seires of campaigns, the nave & aisles in 1860 followed by the chancel a decade later. The church was rebuilt in a faux-late 13th century style which may reflect the style of its fated predecessor. Whilst the lane leading to the church is narrow there is a broad parking area opposite the church, it has atmospheric views across paddocks to the Kennet valley. The churchyard has a post & rail fence with a simple lychgate for entry. A few deciduous & coniferous trees are dotted about but can be easily avoided by the photographer.