Fairmile Hospital, Cholsey, Wallingford, England

The following is from the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.

A late 19th-century asylum with grounds designed by Robert Marnock.

LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING

Fairmile Hospital is situated about 2.5 kilometres south of Wallingford and about 1 kilometre east of the village of Cholsey, to the south-east of the A329 Reading Road and to the north-west of the River Thames. The roughly 26 hectare site comprises around 6 hectares of airing courts, gardens and pleasure grounds, and around 20 hectares of kitchen gardens, orchards and paddocks. To the north-west the site is bounded by the A329 road, while to the south-west it adjoins a metalled track, Papist Way, which leads from Cholsey to the River Thames. The site adjoins agricultural land to the north-east, with the boundary being marked by 20th-century fences. To the south-east it adjoins the flood-plain of the River Thames; a gravelled walk extends across the flood-plain to the river bank. The north-west, south-west, and north-east boundaries are screened by dense plantations of mixed ornamental trees and shrubs which include a high proportion of evergreens. The boundary hedges were formed by Joseph Harding of Wallingford from 1868 (Accounts), while in 1874 the Visitors reported the planting of a belt of shrubbery and trees on the north-west and south-west boundaries (Ann Rep, 1874).

REFERENCES Used by English Heritage

The Builder, (4 April 1868), p 256; (2 April 1870), p 264; (27 April 1878), p 443; (2 July 1898), p 19

Victoria History of the County of Berkshire III, (1923), p 297

N Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Berkshire (1966), p 117

Inspector's Report: Fairmile Hospital (RCHME 1992)

Maps

OS 6" to 1 mile: 1st edition published 1888; 2nd edition published 1914

OS 25" to 1 mile: 2nd edition published 1912

Illustrations

Engraving, Berkshire, Reading, and Newbury Lunatic Asylum [from the north-west], in The Builder (2 April 1870)

Archival items

Hospital records, 1867-late 20th century (private collection)

Quarter session records including Minute books of Visitors' Committee 1867-70 (D/XQ1),
Accounts and cash books (1867-1911) (D/XQ1/3, 1/4), and Annual Reports 1871-5 (Q/AL 12), are held at the Berkshire Record Office.
 

Description written: August 2000

Amended: September 2000

Edited: April 2002