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Hill HouseHarehatch, Wargrave, Berkshire Hill Farm is a fine Grade II listed building, standing on the highest ground in the hamlet of Harehatch in the parish of Wargrave: hence its name. It once had a good view of the Bath Road, now obscured. It is unclear when the A'Bear family first became associated with 'the Hill'. They were certainly living in Harehatch, as opposed to Wargrave, by 1553; but the earliest reference to 'John A'Bear of the Hill' - seen so often in later centuries - does not appear until one of this name gave a bell to the church of Waltham St. Lawrence in 1619. The oldest part of the farm complex which survives is what later became the 'coach-house'. It was erected in 1612, probably by John A'Bear who died in 1616. It is a rare example of very early brick construction with no timber framework and may have been one of the first such buildings put up in East Berkshire. It has been suggested that this was the original farm-house, though this is not entirely certain. John A'Bear's will shows that he lived in a large eight roomed house, with an open hall, kitchen, larder, lower chamber and four upstairs bedrooms. The status of the A'Bears, even at this early date, clearly warranted a larger building which probably stood on the site of the present Hill House. The rear portion of the Hill House of today dates, like the large barn adjoining, from the mid-17th century. John A'Bear (died 1616)'s grandson, also John, inherited the family estate in 1647 and he probably instigated the rebuilding. But the majority of the house is of eighteenth century date and these additions were put up by the latter's great great grandson, another John A'Bear (1698-1771). In 1744, he had married the widow of his friend, the Ruscombe farmer and land speculator, Edmund Whitfield, and it has been suggested that, despite Edmund's three children, the combined wealth of these two allowed them to considerably boost the Hill Farm economy. As their income grew, their increased status in the area demanded that their house keep up with the grand fashions of the time. Thus, the original house became the servants' quarters and the grander rooms of today's Hill House were built. The impressive fan-light doorway and surrounding portico were added later the same century, possibly by John's son, John A'Bear (1745-1795). The A'Bears lived
at Hill House until 1895 (some say 1901), when agricultural depression led
to it being sold. It is currently the offices of Ward Associates plc. |
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| © David Nash Ford 2001. All Rights Reserved. | ||