One of the great railway engineers of the century from 1859 Daniel Gooch lived at Clewer Park an estate located behind Mill Lane, Clewer Village. He wrote “Clewer Park with elms, cedars and mill stream was very beautiful”

At the age of 21 he was appointed the first Superintendent of Locomotive Engines on the Great Western Railway on the recommendation of Brunel and served the company for most of his life. In 1864/5 he was responsible for the laying of telegraphic cables across the Atlantic to America, for this he was created a baronet in 1866.

He was Chairman of GWR from 1865 and director of many other railway companies, member of Parliament for Cricklade 1865-1885, Deputy Lieutenant for Wiltshire, and Justice of the Peace for Berkshire.

In the late 1860s he replaced the irregular line of cottages on the west side of Mill Lane, with the houses that are still there today, his coat of arms appears on one of them.

He is buried in Clewer churchyard.

Note:

Clewer Park was previously the home of the Hon. Henry Ashley, brother of the reformer Lord Shaftesbury. The house was in an Italianate early Victorian style.

It would appear that the house was owned by Mrs Mosscockle after Daniel Gooch and taken over by the Navy during WWII under the code name President III.

A housing development now replaces the mansion.