The Vicarage at Shrivenham

There has very likely been a dwelling for the Vicar of Shrivenham on the large piece of ground on the west side of the Barrington Arms Hotel, for a very long time. The earliest description we have so far comes from a document at the Berkshire County Archives in Reading.

BRO Ref D/P 112/3/1/10. Terrier of Glebe Land 1783

The Vicarage Home  - containing

4 rooms on the ground floor.  5 bedchambers over the ground floor with garrets

The ground floor consists of an eating room, deal floor, the wall behind the dimensions 22 feet long, 16 feet wide and 8 feet high. The Parlour likewise, a deal floor, the walls wainscoted the same dimension with the eating parlour, a small study, deal floor and a kitchen, stone floor, 22 feet long, 17 feet wide, 9 feet high, a new dairy and small bar. Pantry, brick walls and slatted, 23 feet long and 14 feet wide, built by the present Vicar. Small servants offices, brick slatted, built by the present Vicar, part of the Kitchen with a bed chamber over it likewise built by the present Vicar. A Chaise house thatched, Cart House thatched, and a five-stall stable, brick wall and slatted. A barn and a barhouse, a very good garden with brick walls etc.

       8 acres meadow formerly adjoining (refer back to 1635 survey)

The Vicarage that is shown in Picture 1 in this listing was built by a company called Richard Pace & Son of Lechalde in 1805 for the then incumbent, Rev. Mr Edward Berens, and replaced the building listed above. (From the book, 'Creating Paradise,' by Richard Wilson & Alan Mackley, page 230). It is quite likely that it was paid for by himself. It eventually became too costly to maintain and was sold by the Church Commissioners on 23rd September, 1981, for £71,000. The building was converted in flats.

The new Vicarage was built on a plot of land just to the west off the High Street

Also in this listing are photos of the sale documents for the land and the building

Info collated by Neil B. Maw