Englefield, Berkshire

The village is situated in the District of West Berkshire , close to Reading . Other nearby places include Bradfield and Theale .

In 870 the village was the site of a battle between the Saxons under Aethelwulf, ealdorman of Berkshire, and the Danes , which resulted in a resounding victory for the Saxons. The battle was the first of a series in the winter of 870-1. The village is thought to be named after the battle: Englefield meaning either "English field" or "warning beacon field".

Englefield House was the home of the Englefield family, supposedly from the time of King Edgar . Sir Thomas Englefield was the Speaker Of The House Of Commons ,
but in 1559 the house was confiscated from his grandson Sir Francis Englefield through their involvement in the the Catholic Throckmorton plot. (The family later lived at Whiteknights Park in Earley and continued to be buried in Englefield parish church until 1822.)

Queen Elizabeth I granted Englefield to her spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham, from whom the present owner, Sir William Benyon is indirectly descended. Thus there have been only two families in ownership since before the Norman conquest, and the property has now been held by the same family for another four hundred years. Many of the Benyons have been Members of Parliament, including most recently Sir William and his son Richard Benyon .

SEE ALSO

List Of Civil Parishes In Berkshire

List Of Places In Berkshire

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Englefield, Berkshire