Billingbear

Billingbear
Billingbear is located in Berkshire
Billingbear
Billingbear
Location within Berkshire
OS grid referenceSU838724
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townREADING
Postcode districtRG40
Dialling code01344
PoliceThames Valley
FireRoyal Berkshire
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Berkshire
51°26′15″N 0°48′28″W / 51.437605°N 0.807905°W / 51.437605; -0.807905

Billingbear is a hamlet in the civil parish of Binfield and a former country estate in the civil parish of Waltham St Lawrence, near Bracknell, in the English county of Berkshire.[1]

Geography

The settlement lies between the M4 motorway and the village of Binfield, just north-west of Binfield Parish Church, along Carters Hill and Billingbear Lane. The country estate is immediately to the west.

Billingbear Park

Main article: Billingbear House

Billingbear Park is now the site of a large late 20th century country house and a golf course. It was previously a large area of parkland surrounding Billingbear House, a huge Elizabethan mansion erected in 1567 by Henry Neville (d. 1593).[1] It burnt down in 1924.[1]

Allanbay Park

Just north-east of the hamlet is Allanbay Park, a grade II listed country house set in parkland.[2] It was the home of John Lycett Wills (1910–1999) and his wife Jean Elphinstone. Wills served as High Sheriff of Berkshire in 1958. Jean was a niece of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and lady-in-waiting to her cousin, Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon. In 1955, Group Captain Peter Townsend stayed at Allanbay to avoid the press furore surrounding his relationship with the Princess.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Ford, David Nash (2020). East Berkshire Town and Village Histories. Wokingham: Nash Ford Publishing. pp. 24–26. ISBN 9781905191017.
  2. ^ "Allanbay Park". British Listed Buildings.


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