Origin of the name "Shinfield”

In Saxon times Shinfield was referred to as Selingasfeld, i.e. the fields owned by Selingaso. It is stated that the "fields of Selingas and Soanas had been laid out", i.e. the fields of Shinfield and Swallowfield had been cleared. The Redingas had already taken possession of newly broken ground at Reading.

Later it was referred to as Selingefelle, then Shiningefeld, Suinghefeld, Shingefeld, and Shinfield.

An alternative suggestion for the origin of the name is that the land around the Loddon here used not to be drained as it is now!! and that looking down on the flooded fields from the hill near the R.A.F. Headquarters, when coming out from Reading the fields would shine in the sun, and so might be referred to as the Shining Fields, hence Shiningefeld and Shinfield.

THE HYDE FAMILY
Thomas Hide was buried at Shinfield in 1634 aged 82.

In 1614 Sir Laurence Hyde, of Norbury, Attorney General to King James I was knighted and given the manor farm of Hide End in Hyde End Road, which included Badgers Farm in Cutbush Lane.

His brother Sir Nicholas Hyde, the Chief Justice, came to live at Hyde End Farm later, and his descendants lived there after he died there in 1631.

Edward Hyde 1609-74, a nephew of Sir Nioholas, became Lord Chancellor in the reign of King Charles II, and was created Lord Clarendono His daughter Anne Hyde married the Kings brother James Duke of York, but died in 1671 before the latter became King James II in 1685. She was the mother Queen Mary and Queen Anne.

In 1670 the 2nd Earl of Clarendon married Lady Backhouse, the widowed owner of Swallowfie1d Park. The 3rd Earl lived at Swallowfield until he sold it in 1719.

Another branch of the Hyde family lived at Badgers Farm in Cutbush Lane. The last of them, Hannah Hyde, great granddaughter of Sir Nicholas, married Augustine Badger in 1721.

BADGERS FARM - now Cutbush

This part of the manor farm of Hide End granted to Sir Laurence Hyde in l614, and some of the deacendant of his bother Sir Nicholas Hyde, lived there, the last male of whom died in 1713 without issuse. Shinfield church register shows that the sister of the latter, Hannah Hyde, great granddaughter of Sir Nicholas, married Augustine Badger in 1721 and they lived owned, and farmed here, as did their son John Hyde-Badger.

The latter was the last of the Hyde family at Shinfield. Manns History of Reading published in 1815 states that

"John Hyde was a gentleman farmer and mathematiciian and had many relics of the CLarendon family, including a curious pair of gloves worn by Lord Chancellor Clarendon when at Court and several articles that had belonged to Queen Anne. His hall was hung with many pieces of armour used in the Civil war and was much visited by people to see it."

He died in 1790 and was buried in the family vault at Shinfield.

Snare stated that 1843 "Mr. Cobham also owned a smaller manor granted by King James I to the Hydes". Whether he refers to Badgers farm or not I do not know."

The old part of the house is Jacobean, 1603-25. The barn may be older. It had mullioned windows and a moat.

There is nothing of interest in the deeds. The map of 1756 shows, extending eastwards over the gardens a larger house than the northern portion that existed in 1923. This was pulled down and the present house built about 1770. Much of the house and barns were rebuilt with the old matertial about 1925. It is well worth preserving. The chimney is built outside the wall and it has wooden gutters and down-pipes.

CUTBUSH LANE
In the map of 1756 the present front garden of dhinfield Grange is marked as common land and called Bush green. It was enclosed in 1855. Only one tree is marked on the green, and that is in the position of that of the old whitethorn tree that stood in 1930 on the left of the drive gate. This bush seems to have given its name to Bush Green and to Cutbush Lane. The tenant ot the small homestead farm behind Bush Green trained the thorn bush in the shape of the Prince of Wales feathers, hence the names. The tree appeared to be well over 200 years old in 1930, and still retained its shape.

I have a photograph of Cutbush Lane takin early in the century.

Swains Rope & String Factory used to be in Cutbush Lane where Ovens Cottage stands opposite the University Garden gate. The property extended away from the road in a long narrow strip which was used for stretching the rope. A photograph of such an old rope walk appeared in Country Life of 12th September, 1957.