Bere Court And Bere House

Bere Court and Bere House are a house, founded circa 13th century, with alterations in the 16th century and around 1670, refaced in the mid-18th century, and with additions circa 1820 to the west. The building is constructed of stone with a red brick facing and a rendered plinth. It features a hipped old tile roof, with a central flat-roofed square section.

The building has a square plan, two storeys and an attic. It includes a plinth, a plat band to the south, a cornice, a parapet, and four stacks. There are five dormers to the east, with segmental pediments except the outer two, which have triangular pediments. Four gabled dormers are present to the south with two-light casements, and four segmental-headed dormers to the west.

The north front has seven bays of varying widths, with glazing bar sashes having gauged heads and keystones. A central round-arched window is located on the first floor, featuring imposts and keystones. The central entrance has a six-panelled door, with the upper four panels fielded and the lower two flush, and a radial fanlight. The doorcase comprises two attached unfluted Doric columns supporting a triglyph frieze and cornice. The east front has six bays with ground floor French casements and blind hoods. The south front, with eight bays, incorporates some blind windows, two central French casements, and a six-panelled door in the third bay from the left, alongside a large arched window above the staircase. A former service wing to the west is constructed of red brick with a hipped slate roof, a central ridge stack, three bays, glazing bar sashes with louvred shutters, and a door in the lower block to the right.

The interior includes delicate decorative 18th-century plasterwork in the entrance hall, featuring medallions and festoons. Three arches are present to the south, along with 18th-century doorcases and a fireplace. A central mounting staircase rises in three flights with a 19th-century balustrade and 18th-century decorative wall plasterwork. One ground floor room features late 17th-century panelling and a fireplace with a carved surround and cornice. A central first-floor room has 18th-century panelling and architraves. A first-floor room to the south contains 18th-century panelling, an 18th-century fireplace, a flat quadripartite 16th-century ceiling with moulded beams, and a recently revealed but mutilated early 16th-century clunch fireplace and overmantel with cartouches and shells. Other rooms are characterised by 18th-century panelling and fireplaces. Vaulted cellars are also present. In 1983, a section of a stone vault rib used as rubble infill was discovered.

Bere Court and Bere House served as the residence of the Abbots of Reading, particularly favoured by the last, Hugh Faringdon. 18th-century drawings depict outbuildings to the east, possibly including a former chapel, which were demolished around 1820.