Donnington is a village in the civil parish of Shaw-cum-Donnington in West Berkshire, England. It is located north of the town of Newbury. It contains a ruined medieval castle and a Strawberry Hill Gothic mansion.
Donnington | |
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Village | |
Donnington Location within Berkshire | |
OS grid reference | SU467693 |
Civil parish | |
Unitary authority | |
Ceremonial county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Newbury |
Postcode district | RG14 |
Dialling code | 01635 |
Police | Thames Valley |
Fire | Royal Berkshire |
Ambulance | South Central |
UK Parliament | |
Donnington Castle,[1] a ruined medieval castle of some historical significance, was the home of Richard Abberbury the Elder. The second Battle of Newbury (27 October 1644) was fought between |Newbury and Donnington as an attack on the castle, which was held for the Royalists by Sir John Boys. The main entrance range of Donnington Castle House was built in 1648 to incorporate an earlier lodge.[citation needed]
Donnington Hospital almshouses, founded in 1393, form the oldest charity in the county, although others formed later had older charities merged into them. Robert Beaugraunt is recorded as minister of the poor in 1412.[2] The earliest current building dates from 1602, but the complex is wide-ranging, with additional modern almshouses having been built in Bucklebury and Iffley.
Other notable buildings include Donnington Priory and Donnington Grove. The latter is a Strawberry Hill Gothic mansion built by the antiquary and translator James Pettit Andrews in 1763–1772. It is now a hotel in the centre of a golf course.[citation needed]
Media related to Donnington, Berkshire at Wikimedia Commons