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Arborfield
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Auctions
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Sale documents: Arb. Hall, 1855 Newlands, 1947
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Over the last hundred years or so, the large estates have been split up for various reasons, leaving only two major landowners: Reading University and Farley Farms. The Auction Sale documents give us a fascinating snapshot into life at the time of each sale. The Newlands estate covered much of the centre of Arborfield Cross, and was originally sold in 1947, but not all of the Lots were successfully sold. Another sale took place in 1948, and a third in 1952. We are grateful to David Simonds and Henry Lee for the loan of the Sale documents. The Arborfield Hall estate was offered for sale in 1855 and again in 1919, 1924 and 1926, and by 1919 it included property along Church Lane. The Church lost its Reading Room, which wasn't originally intended to have been put in the sales. A separate furniture sale was held in 1926, as advertised here. Carter's Hill Farm was sold in 1919. Most of the land is now owned by Reading University, while the buildings have been sold and in some cases converted into dwellings. The Bearwood estate originally covered a huge area including much of Nine Mile Ride south of Wokingham, but it was sold off when the heir to the Walter family fortune was drowned in Bearwood Lake. Within the parish of Newland, most of the estate remained in single ownership when the Royal Merchant Navy School took over the mansion and landscaped grounds. To the south-east, the land that became the Remount Depot and eventually the Garrison was sold separately prior to the First World War. The Auction Sale document of 1911 gives a large amount of information about the Estate. Arborfield Court was sold in 1916, and a Furniture Auction was held in October. A year later, Arborfield Grange was sold in 1917, and its Furniture Auction was held in the summer. Swallowfield Park owned much of the land to the south and west of the Cross including White's and Bartlett Farms and what is now Walden Avenue. This detached portion was offered for sale in 1913; many of the buildings still exist but many trees have since been felled. A large acreage is now owned by the Samuel family through their Farley Farms estate. Note: The third major landowner in Arborfield Parish in the late 1900's was the Ministry of Defence, but it sold its land on the former Poperinghe Barracks privately rather than by auction. The remaining part of what is known as 'Arborfield Garrison' is largely in Barkham Parish.
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