Enborne, Berkshire
Historical Description
Enborne or Enbourne, a parish in Berks, adjacent to the Kennet and Avon Canal. 2 miles from Woodhay station on the G.W.R., and 3 SW by W from Newbury Post town, and money order and telegraph office, Newbury. Area, 2501 acres; population, 442. The Enborne river divides the parish on the S from Hants. A curious custom of free bench to a widow formerly prevailed in Enborne manor, is humorously described by Addison in the Spectator, and has been superseded by an equivalent in money. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Oxford; gross value, £293 with residence. Patron, the Earl of Craven. The church is ancient, and was well restored in 1893. There is a small Primitive Methodist chapel.
Administration
The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.
| Ancient County | Berkshire | |
| Ecclesiastical parish | Enborne St. Michael | |
| Hundred | Kintbury-Eagle | |
| Poor Law union | Newbury |
Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.
Church Records
The parish register dates from the year 1666.
Churches
Church of England
St. Michael (parish church)
The church of St. Michael, standing on a slight elevation by the side of the road leading from Newbury to Hampstead Marshall, at the head of a charming valley, is an ancient edifice of flint, consisting of chancel, nave, south aisle, north porch and western bell-cote, supported on early wooden framework, and containing 2 bells; that there was at one time a north aisle is evident from the piers and arches of an arcading formerly built into the north wall, but uncovered in 1893, and now forming part of the new north aisle: these have good Norman caps and bases: the chancel is Early English, with lancet windows at the sides, and a debased Perpendicular east window: there is a double Early English piscina, with a locker at the back; the chancel arch is Norman, but has undergone some alteration; the nave and south aisle are separated by an arcade of three Early Norman arches, with circular pillars and sculptured capitals; in the aisle are some very Early oak benches, and the walls disclose some traces of painting; the font is cylindrical and arcaded: the church was thoroughly restored and reseated in 1893 and a new north aisle added at a total cost of £3,000: there are 250 sittings.
Methodist
Primitive Methodist Chapel
There is a Primitive Methodist chapel, erected in 1844 and rebuilt in 1871, with sittings for 50 persons.
Civil Registration
For general information about Civil Registration (births, marriages and deaths) see the Civil Registration page.
Enborne was in Hungerford Registration District from 1837 to 1974
Directories & Gazetteers
We have transcribed the entry for Enborne from the following:
- Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Enborne (St. Michael))
- Kelly's Directory of Berkshire, 1915
Land and Property
The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Berkshire is available to browse.
Maps
Online maps of Enborne are available from a number of sites:
- Bing (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- Google Streetview.
- National Library of Scotland. (Old maps)
- OpenStreetMap.
- old-maps.co.uk (Old Ordnance Survey maps to buy).
- Streetmap.co.uk (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
- A Vision of Britain through Time. (Old maps)
Newspapers and Periodicals
The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following Berkshire papers online:
Visitations Heraldic
The Visitations of Berkshire 1532, 1566, and 1665-6 is available online.