Donnington, Berkshire

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.

Castle
Donnington Castle, 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.

Hospital almshouses
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. The earliest current building dates from 1602, but the complex is wide-ranging, with additional modern almshouses having been built in Bucklebury and Iffley.

Others
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.

Transport
Donnington has regular bus services to Newbury.

Famous residents

 * Richard Abberbury the Elder (1331–1399), chamberlain to Anne of Bohemia, Queen to King Richard II of England, owned estates in Donnington.
 * Albemarle Bertie (1755–1824), Royal Navy officer and later Admiral during the American Revolutionary War and Napoleonic Wars, retired to Donnington Priory.
 * Beau Brummell (1778–1840), Regency dandy, lived at Donnington Grove.
 * Sebastian Faulks (born 1953), journalist and author, was born in the village.
 * Thomas Hughes (1822–1896), author of Tom Brown's Schooldays, lived at Donnington Priory.
 * Barbara Euphan Todd (1890–1976), author of the Worzel Gummidge series of stories for children, died at Donnington.