Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
West Mills Yard forms part of Newbury's waterfront .
Beyond Enborne Copse, Hamstead Park was built by the Earl of Craven, the house resem-
bling Heidelberg Castle to please Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia, to whom he was romantic-
ally attached. The scheme did not succeed and he died a bachelor aged 91. He was also a fire-
fighting enthusiast, helped by the fact that his horse could smell fires and take him to them
before the alarm was raised. Ironically his own house burnt down in 1718, 21 years after his
death. Avenues run through the geometric gardens where the walls and six sets of gate piers
remain. Mottes beside the canal were part of the defence works of the 13th century Earl Mar-
shall. Up the hill, the church is Norman with 14th and 18th century additions. The 19th cen-
tury watermill by Hamstead Lock is probably on the site of one recorded in 1086. Newest of
all, here and further along the canal, are gates where the towpath crosses the road. Crossing
was not easy previously for those on foot because of the relatively blind road approaches but
at least it was possible to escape on to the towpath. Now the user is trapped on the road with
canoe, bike or pushchair while trying to undo Canal & River Trust gates.
Between Copse Lock and Dreweat's Lock, the ground rises from water meadows to a high
ridge, a most attractive area of country, leading to Irish Hill, a corruption of ebrige or yew-
covered ridge. Whiting Mills, closed early in the 20th century, used quarried chalk to make a
fine white powder that was carried by canal to Bristol for use in paint manufacture. The Wil-
derness on the north side of the canal seems no more deserving of the title than many other
sections of the canal.
In 1364 John of Gaunt gave the fishing and grazing rights to the town of Hungerford and
donated his hunting horn, which is still in a local bank vault. Two years later he was given
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