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Summary:
Bennett's agricultural store and workshop, then Bearwater.
A splendid full history of the development of Bearwater has been written (in 2012, updated 2023) by Alan Staddon, which is made available here on-line by his kind permission. As well as giving a beautifully crafted detailed history of Bearwater, there is much detail on other properties in Charnham Street and Bridge Street.
Photo Gallery:
- Bennet's, Feb 1985 [Ivor Speed collection].
- Aerial view of the area south of Charnham Street, on which Bearwater was built in 1984-85. [September 1983].
Timeline:
Land opposite The Sun Inn:
On 15th December 1924, a parcel of land opposite The Sun Inn was sold by Hugh Francis Arthur Leyborne Popham, of Hunstrete House, Pensford, Somerset, to Charles Batchelor, of Hungerford. H.F.A. Leyborne Popham had inherited the property as a tenant for life on the death of Francis William Leyborne Popham of Littlecote.
In July 1930 Charles Batchelor, furniture dealer of Hungerford, sold the land to Alfred Ian Bennet , tractor dealer of Denford.
Land opposite The Sun Inn, purchased by Alfred Ian Bennet 28th July 1930
Bennett's Workshop and store, 1934-1985:
29th May 1934: Major Sir Gerald Burrard 8th Baronet sold to Ian Alfred Bennett (who lived at Denford Manor, and farmed locally) a parcel of land situated opposite The Sun Inn for the purpose of constructing a workshop to maintain tractors and agricultural equipment. Ian Bennett had a great interest in agricultural machinery.
1939 Blacket's Dir: I A Bennett, Tractor & stores works, 39 Charnham Street.
1940 Blacket's Dir; 39 Charnham Street):I A Bennett, Tractor & stores works.
In 1956 part of the land (opposite the Gas Works), owned by Reginald and Ena Fitch (of The Bear Hotel, Hungerford), was sold to The Berkshire and Reading Fire Authority for the purpose of building a fire station. This was never built.
Land opposite The Gas Works, purchsed by the Fire Authority, 3rd May 1956
Late 1970s: The agricultural machinery business wound down with the death of Ian Bennett. His son Roy assumed ownership but concentrated on his pet shop at 120 High Street, later redeveloped as “The Cuttings”.
In September 1972 the more westerly parcel of land (opposite the Sun Inn) was also sold to Berkshire and Reading Fire Authority for a new Fire Station. Again. this was never built.
The tractor sheds remained until 1985 when they were bought by Beechcroft Developments Ltd.
Bearwater, 1985-present:
1984 Bearwater developement started.
Bearwater, a development for the over-55s, was developed in 1984-86 off Charnham Street.
The land had been bought from
- Mr Robinson, of Bristol, who owned Mill Hatch 7a Bridge Street, part of the marsh and the river Dun, and
- Mr Roy Bennett of 120 High Street, who owner land between Robinsons to the south, Charnham Street to the north.
The Canal Wharf, 2011