| Date | 9 August 2013 |
|---|---|
| Source | Slough Observer |
| Reference | VP-0052 |
| Volume | Views of the Past |
| Collection | Views of the Past |
Transcript
Consider yourself at home
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OPPOSITE Park Street, adjacent to Albert Street, in Slough, is a section of Victorian wall with a blocked up entrance which now looks out of place – this formed the boundary wall to the beautiful gardens of a house still known as The Mere.
The house, off Datchet Road, was the residence of the Bentleys who were the publishers of Charles Dickens’ book Oliver Twist.
The Bentley family were part of a dynasty of publishers beginning with Richard Bentley the elder (1794-1871).
Richard Bentley founded his London publishing firm in 1819. He was particularly well known for his periodical Bentley’s Miscellany and he selected up-and-coming author Charles Dickens as its editor.
In 1837 Bentley serialised Oliver Twist which was a great success. Some suggest that the Eton Union Workhouse, situated almost opposite to Bentley’s property, formed the basis for the Oliver Twist story.
Dickens, however, left the company two years later over payment disputes. This was the only novel by Charles Dickens to be published by Richard Bentley. Due to the poor economic climate of the time the business went into decline and it took until 1858 for the company to re-establish itself.
In 1860 Richard Bentley’s son George (1828-1895) moved with his family from Shropshire to 2 East Villas in the fashionable development of Upton Park.
On the death of his father in 1871 he took over running the publishing company. With the company flourishing, George Bentley, together with his son Richard, (1854-1936) were able to buy up plots of land to create a new estate.
In 1883 work started on building a new house, to be known as The Mere, for the Bentley family. It was designed by the architect George Devey, who was particularly known for his black and white neo-Tudor buildings. In 1886 Devey died of pneumonia, and work on the house was completed by the firm Williams, West and Slade in 1887.
The latest innovative construction techniques were applied to the house design. These included double glazing, cavity walls and draught proof windows. This, coupled with fine architectural features such as the ogee-capped belvedere turret and tall chimneys, established it as one of the finest Victorian country houses in the county.
The Mere is now the headquarters for the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER).
HOME SWEET HOME: Richard Bentley standing in front of his new house – The Mere in 1887.
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