Shrivenham 2015

The History of Shrivenham Station
The Domesday Book of 1086 records the Manor of Becote as being held by William Count
of Evreux. William held the manor on behalf of the King, and it is believed that King John was in
residence in 1204.
Later the family of Beckett held the Manor upon the duty of making the fires in the Royal
Bedchamber. When the lands were extended in the reign of Edward III the duties were changed to
include the presentation to the King of two white capons whenever he should cross “Fowyeare’s Mill
Bridge’’. This bridge is most probably the culvert inside the gates by the north lodge.
In 1633 the Manor was bought by Sir Henry Marten, a judge. During his son’s tenancy in the Civil War
the house was partly destroyed by fire. On the death of his son, the lands were sold first to Sir George
Pratt of Coleshill, and in 1666 to John Wildman. Wildman’s son adopted John Shute as his heir and when
in 1716, Shute succeeded to the Barrington estates, he changed his name accordingly and established
Beckett as the family seat. It remained the property of the Barringtons until the estate was bought by the
War Department in 1936.
There has been a house on the present site since the Conquest, but the previous building stood to the north
of the present one which was built between 1831 and 1834. William Atkinson, its architect, was the son of a
Durham miner. He became the protégé of the Bishop Shute Barrington, and after study in London he became
Architect to the Board of Ordnance. Apart from minor alterations, including the removal of a large conservatory
at the back of the house, the property remains in much the same state as it did in the nineteenth century.
The familiar red brick buildings were erected between 1936 and 1939, and during the war Beckett House played
its part alongside these more functional blocks in housing a variety of occupiers. Units which were stationed at
Shrivenham included 131 and 132 AA Batteries, 133 OCTU(RA), a School of Anti Aircraft Defence, a US Army
Officers’ Candidate School, Schools for Signals, Police, Cooks, Bakers, Clerks, and the Civil Affairs Centre (AMGOT).
In June 1946 the Shrivenham American University was established here, and this is recorded on a tablet in the Billiard
Room. On 9 October 1946 the 1st Technical Staff Officers course assembled at Shrivenham and Beckett House became
one of the Halls of the then Military College of Science. Since then it was temporarily converted to house the college
library. However, in 2005 the library was moved to its new location in the old College Hall (as Barrington Library) and
Beckett House has now been completed a significant refurbishment to become part of the Defence Academy.
The Station
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