The Bucklebury Estate
T
he Bucklebury Estate is the oldest landed Estate in Berkshire and one of the oldest Estate’s in the country. Reading Abbey owned the Bucklebury Estate from 1121 until the Dissolution of the Monastries in 1538, a period of 417 years. John Winchcombe, Jack of Newbury, purchased the Estate in 1540 and it has descended through the same family to the current owner, Willie Hartley Russell.
The Estate is situated in central Berkshire in the heart of the Pang Valley. The River Pang flows through the Estate. Currently it extends to approximately 1600 acres in the parishes of Bucklebury and Stanford Dingley and comprises of farms, forestry, residential and commercial property. It also owns Bucklebury Common.
The Estate has a long tradition of woodland management. In addition, the Estate promotes conservation work notably on Bucklebury Common where large areas of heathland have been restored. Two pheasant shoots and one clay pigeon shoot operates on the Estate.
The Estate has extensive Estate records and archives going back to when the family purchased the Estate in 1540.
Gallery
The Spring Garden
Filled with native flora and fauna.
Ancient Monk's Fish Pond
The bridge to the island in the ancient monk’s fish pond.
Bucklebury History
Over the last 900 years there have been two owners of the Bucklebury Estate; Reading Abbey and the Winchcombe Family...
David Hartley MP
The Member of Parliament for Kingston upon Hull, David Hartley MP occupies a very important place in the story of American independence...
The Estate
The Bucklebury Estate is the oldest landed Estate in Berkshire and one of the oldest Estate’s in the country...
Bucklebury House
King Henry I originally bestowed the Manor of Bucklebury on the monks of Reading Abbey, who created fishponds in the grounds...
The Gardens
The Benedictine monks of Reading Abbey set out the first gardens at Bucklebury in the twelfth century, creating an elaborate system of seven fishponds...
Bucklebury Common
Bucklebury Common is one of the largest Commons in Southern England. It is privately owned by the Bucklebury Estate...