BENSON'S OLD BUILDINGS
(INCLUDING HOUSE HISTORIES)
Below: A few of Benson's many historic buildings.
Buildings in Benson's High Street
Please click here to read an illustrated article about the buildings in Benson High Street, from Castle Square to the old Post Office. It includes a wealth of detail about the owners of these properties and how the premises were used through the centuries.
Below: Photographs showing the variety of architectural styles to be found in 21st century Benson
This was once a farmhouse
A popular Benson inn in Oxford Road
Benson High Street
Brook Street has a delightful variety of old buildings
Taken from near the Ewelme Brook
A view of the Crown from Brook Street
Traditional housing in the High Street
Cottage in Old London Road
These cottages in Brook Street were once a pub called The Plough
FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT BENSON'S HISTORIC BUILDINGS, PLEASE SEE THE BENSON SECTION OF THE VICTORIA COUNTY HISTORY
Please click here to read the Benson Conservation Area Proposal,
produced by the Bensington Society in 1977.
Please click here to read the Benson Conservation Area study,
produced by South Oxfordshire District Council in 1999.
Fifield Farm and Manor
The original old manor house, built in 1120, is said to be the oldest building in Oxfordshire. Additions were made in the 14th, 18th and 19th centuries. In the 20th century there were many ups and downs, including its use by the PRU in WW2.
Click here to read a short history of Fifield Manor
Fifield Manor in days gone by
The Old Vicarage
The house, constructed in 1860 remained as the Vicarage until 1970, and is built on the site of earlier church houses going back as far as 1540. A comprehensive report on these buildings, and St Helen's Church together with former vicars is contained in a "Story of The Old Vicarage Benson" by Charles Barrie, a copy of which is available in the Village Archive.
Click here to read a short article about Benson Vicarage
The Old Vicarage
HOUSE HISTORIES
Please click on a house name to read a short history
Myrtle Cottage, Laurel Cottage
and 12 Castle Square (below)
No 1 Brook Street (below)
Elm House, Castle Square (below) Kingsford House, High Street (below)
The Limes, Oxford Road (below 1930s) Churchfield House (below 1960s)
Owned by the Rowden family
Mentions the Powell family. The house was once called Chiltern Lodge.
Colne House, later Observatory House, Brook Street Owned by the Dines family
Baker's Cottage, 35 Brook Street
(Mentions the Shrubb family)
(The following names are mentioned in both histories : Holgate, Butcher, Archer, Pugh, Coates, Skinner, Rislingbury, Cato, King, Hutchings, Littleboy, Goodey, Field, Polley, Spyer, Orchard, Wise, Hine, Chislett, Pudwell, West, Winfield.)
"Perry Oaks",
11 Watlington Road
(Near the old British School)
Mentions the following names :
Mead, Witney, Cato, Frewin,
Wells, West, Hatt, Green,
Aldridge, Garland, Scott, Smith.
Blenheim House, Oxford Road
The house was formerly known as Littleworth End. The following names are mentioned: Jenkins, Paxman, Crump, Stubbs, Cartwright, Reid, O'Callaghan and Whittaker.
This house began as outhouses and an orchard of Blenheim House, opposite, until Arthur Jenkins decided to build a house for himself in the orchard. It was named after a happy holiday with his wife Edith Jenkins at Meadfoot beach, Torquay
Jack House, St Helen's Avenue
The house was built by George Talbot in 1910. During World War II, it housed officers from RAF Benson.
