Burghfield
Encyclopedia
Burghfield is a village and civil parish in West Berkshire
, England, close to the boundary with Reading
.
, Burghfield Hill, Pingewood
, Trash Green, Whitehouse Green and Sheffield Bottom. Given the extent of the parish, it is bounded by several other parishes and villages.
s of land, of which 1,660 acres were arable, 1,940 acres permanent pasture and 163 acres woods and plantations. The land lies low in the valley of the Kennet, at an average altitude of a little over 100 feet (30.5 m) above the ordnance datum
, rising in the south-west to a height of 302 feet (92 m).
The main settlements of Burghfield parish lie along Burghfield Road, the major road out of Reading. From north-east to south-west: Burghfield Bridge
is the closest to Reading and lies by the crossing of the Reading Road over the River Kennet
; this is followed by Burghfield Village, after the crossing of the Burghfield Road over the M4 motorway
which runs through the north of the parish; Burghfield Hill is in the southern upland part of the parish, naturally enough, at the top of Burghfield Hill; and Burghfield Common – named after the parish common land
on which it was built and with by far the largest population – lies, in quick succession, the furthest south-west. The south-eastern part of Burghfield Common is known as Great Auclum (see History below).
In the north of the parish, the Kennet River valley, is surrounded by a number of man made lakes, marshland and willow scrub, with old water meadows and Osier beds to the north of the river. Further south, between the M4 motorway and Burghfield Village the ground is flat, and consists of farmland and pastureland with occasional small stands of deciduous woodland. At Burghfield Hill, the slopes are covered in grassland and some larger copses of deciduous woodland, and are dissected by a number of partially wooded valleys and small streams such as Clayhill Brook. The plateau gravels support grassland, deciduous woodland and Scots pine, with small areas of heath land persisting on Wokefield Common which borders Burghfield Common to the south. The grasslands within the Parish are grazed by a wide variety of cattle, sheep and horses.
The Parish is served by a number of footpaths and bridleways across the fields and open spaces as well as through the woods. These paths and bridleways can be enjoyed by walkers and nature lovers, and are an important resource for the Parish. There are a number of other paths and “cut-throughs” allowing pedestrians to move freely around the Parish, away from motorised traffic.
Much of the Kennet Valley is defined as a functional flood plain, and is as a consequence subject to frequent flooding. There are areas in the flow of the river Kennet where drainage is not as good as it might be. There are also areas where the streams and rivers taking water away are nearing capacity and therefore heavy rains lead to localised flooding.
waste, however a number of earlier pits have been left to fill with water, and this has provided for various water sports, fishing and other leisure activities, as well as supporting a large water bird
population along with other aquatic flora and fauna.
, and the Red Kite
; together with Kestrels, Buzzards and Peregrine Falcons, the latter of which can often be seen on thermals enjoying this habitat of the Kennet Meadows.
partially forms its Northwestern border with Sulhamstead
. This brook travels North and Northeast to eventually join the River Kennet
and Kennet and Avon Canal
near to Burghfield Mill, to the West of Burghfield Bridge.
The stream The Teg
gently winds its way through the heart of Burghfield Common. Its source is close to the Willink school and much interesting wildlife can be found long its length. The Teg winds Northeast and then East to join Foudry Brook
, a tributary of the River Kennet and Kennet and Avon Canal, just South of Reading.
The Burghfield Brook
forms Burghfield's southern border with Wokefield
and Grazeley
; a notable feature of this watercourse is Pullens Pond, formed where this brook is damned by a forest access road within Wokefield Common. To the East of this area the brook continues into a small valley, referred to as Burghfield Slade, which contains a larger reservoir of water. Burghfield Brook then continues to the Northeast, and in turn feeds into Foudry Brook, just South of the Teg.
Burghfields Eastern boundary is just east of the railway line, near Smallmead, running south from Reading. The northern boundary with Theale
and the Southcote
area of Reading is formed by the Holy Brook
and the Draper's Osier Bed Stream
.
To the north lies Sheffield Bottom and the River Kennet and Kennet and Avon Canal, which run through the very north of the parish and are, today, surrounded by vast flooded gravel pit
s where there is much wildlife and where fishing
, sailing
and other water sports are popular pastimes. The Kennet and Avon Canal is crossed by road in two places near the northern borders of the parish, firstly at Burghfield Bridge, being a stone built road bridge, and secondly at Sheffield Bottom by a swing type canal bridge and a stone built road bridge. The road crossings at both are very narrow and are controlled by traffic lights. This excludes smaller footbridges, and the much later M4 motorway crossing of the Kennet and Avon Canal.
In Sheffield Bottom, Hosehill Lake, falling also within Sulhamstead
parish, is listed as a nature reserve, and is managed by Berkshire Countryside Service alongside the Theale Area Bird Conservation Group. The lake is bounded by a footpath, of approximately one mile, with several seating and bird viewing areas. The entrance to the reserve is opposite the Fox and Hounds Pub, Sunnyside, on Station Road, Sheffield Bottom (Theale). The site is important for its wildlife and habitats. It hosts a wide variety of water fowl in the winter, and nightingales join the butterflies and dragonflies in the spring.
Wokefield Common has been declared a Wildlife Heritage Site by West Berkshire Councils Countryside Service. It is described as a quiet site with a network of paths leading through tall pine and broadleaf woodland, ponds, small areas of heather and rich wet gullies. Of particular significance are the heathland areas which support rare species including Slow Worms, Grass Snake
s and Adders
. The 60 Ha site is managed by the Countryside Service alongside the landowner and the Wokefield Common Advisory Committee. The main entrance is located off the Goring Lane on the outskirts of Burghfield, although there is a public bridleway access at the end of Bunces Lane, Burghfield Common. There are also public footpath access at the end of Palmers Lane and Springwood Lane, both also off of Bunces Lane, Burghfield Common.
Omer's Gulley Wood is the strip of wood just behind Hunters Hill, Abbey Park, and Bluebell Drive. The larger part is owned by the Englefield Estate and the remainder by West Berkshire Council. The wood covers 3.6 hectares. The woodland is identified on very early maps of the parish and has been well coppiced for firewood in the past. 86 different plant species and 46 different birds have been found in Omer's Gully Wood, and there are lots of animals, such as foxes, deer, badgers, squirrels and rabbits. The woodland links up with other woodland by Omers Brook, such as Clayhill Copse to the north east, to form an important wildlife corridor.
Many farms to the North of Burghfield are now part of the Englefield
Estate
s, as well as being part of the unitary authority
of West Berkshire
. The parish council has several committees and sub-committees arranged to serve the various functions of the council, these include for:
Burghfield also has its own 'Residents Association'.
which lies to the South, and is connected to Burghfield Common by a minibus shuttle at peak times. Burghfield Hill is served by route 2 and 2A, (replacing the old 143, 148 and 149 services).
Heavy vehicular access in the region is restricted by the multiple low and narrow bridges over the canal and railways which lie to the North and East.
The nearest railway stations to the parish are Theale railway station
(on the Reading to Taunton Line
) and Mortimer railway station
(on the Reading to Basingstoke Line
). Both stations are located approximately 2.3 miles (3.7 km) away - albeit in entirely opposite directions.
The parish is located near to Reading services
on the M4 motorway
, although the nearest access point to the road (junction 11) is located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to the east.
at Newbury
to the River Avon
at Bath, but forms just part of a larger navigation between the River Thames
at Reading
and the Floating Harbour
at Bristol
. The River Kennet was made navigable to Newbury in 1723, and the River Avon to Bath in 1727. The canal between Newbury and Bath opened in 1810.
In the later 19th century and early 20th century the canal fell into disuse following competition from the Great Western Railway
, who owned the canal. In the latter half of the 20th century the canal was restored, largely by volunteers, and today is a popular heritage tourism
destination, for boating, canoeing
, fishing
, walking
and cycling
. It is also important for wildlife conservation
.
There are moorings on the Kennet and Avon Canal on the offside bank downstream of Burghfield Island and at the layby on Burghfield Island (near Burghfield Bridge). The canal has a number of locks, Sheffield Lock
, Garston Lock
and Burghfield Lock
, and a swing-bridge along the Burghfield stretch.
There are a number of public houses in Burghfield. The Hatchgate Inn and The Six Bells sit opposite each other in Burghfield Village, either side of the main Burghfield (Reading) Road. In Burghfield Common there is The Rising Sun and The Bantam. In Sheffield Bottom is the Fox and Hounds.
There is a hotel, Roselawn Hotel, formerly a large Victorian farmhouse, located near the bottom of the Reading Road on Burghfield Hill.
exchange, serving 2,891 residential premises, and 91 commercial premises. The exchange also covers the nearby villages of Ufton Nervet, and Sulhamstead. Recently, Talk-Talk unbundled the exchange for use with their up to 24mb/s service (ADSL2+). Talk-Talk is currently the only provider to offer this service. No cable services exist in the village.
located to the Southwestern end of the village, just inside Wokefield Common. There is a small sewage works on Clayhill Brook, between Burghfield village and Trash Green.
sites within the parish, unfortunately they are mostly all destroyed by gravel pit workings in Pingewood, for example possible Bronze Age barrows and ditches once sat where the Burghfield sailing club now sails, at , or now sit under the M4 motorway. There was also a barrow
cemetery at Field Farm in Pingewood, at , comprising ten round barrows which were visible on aerial photographs along with the cropmarks
of a partially visible rectangular enclosure, and parallel ditched boundaries. Four of the barrows were excavated between 1985-88 in advance of gravel extraction and were found to contain primary cremation burials, some of which were urned. Excavations have shown that this site was later used for burials when the Anglo-Saxons
moved into the area. In Old English, they named the place 'Hill Field'.
There have also been numerous finds of Bronze age spearheads, and an axe head and a sword in the Pingewood and River Kennet area.
Other possible Roman settlements are indicated by cropmarks in the same Pingeword area slightly further to the east and to the south west. Again, some features have been lost to gravel pits.
Again in Pingewood, at Berrys Lane and Searle's Farm Lane, there are signs of a possible Roman road flanked by possible field systems and/or settlements, which are/were visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs. The side ditches of the road are visible extending in a north easterly direction for 950m. It may be part of the Roman road from Silchester
to Verulamium
. The settlements or field systems are defined by a series of ditches, sometimes double ditches, which are parallel and perpendicular to the road. There are three concentrations of ditch systems which appear to form fragments of a larger system of conjoined enclosures. Again, unfortunately, these features have been destroyed by gravel extraction.
There have been finds of roman coins, pottery, and other artefacts in the region.
Other references trace the changing name of the village as follows:
Burghfield appears to have been divided from very early times into two equal portions, each containing 1½ hides
of land, and this division is probably the origin of the two manors of Burghfield that existed later.
(circa 1086) as follows:
"Berchefelde, or Borgefel. Lands of Ralph de Mortemar. The same Ralph holds Burghfield, and a certain (knight) holds of him. Abbot Elsi held it of the old monastery of the Church at Winchester, by witness of the shire in the time of King Edward, and afterwards until he was outlawed."
These manors formerly belonging to Queen Emma of Normandy
, until her death in 1052. The lands appear to have been transferred to Ralph de Mortemar around 1070, and they remained in that family until the death of Edmund, the last Earl of March in 1425. The heir to the lands was his nephew, a minor, Richard Duke of York, but on his attainder
in 1459 the land passed to the crown.
Additionally Sir Nicholas De La Beche (1291–1345) is known to have owned Burghfield at some time. The De La Beche family were powerful landowners and knights in the 14th century. Many of them were retainers to the king, warders to the Tower of London
, and Sheriff
s of Oxfordshire
and Berkshire
. The family were influential during the reign of Edward II
and Edward III
, and were embroiled in the royal intrigue of the time.
There were three manor
s: Burghfield Regis, Burghfield Abbas and Sheffield (or Soefeld).
King Edward IV
, gave the Burghfield manor its Royal title of 'Regis'. Its manor house, alias Nether Court, stood on the site now occupied by the Rectory. This manner was sub-tenanted to the family of Thomas de Burghfield, who proudly took his name from the village, sometime before 1175. The De Burghfields were also sub-tenants of Burghfield Abbas, which had been owned by Reading Abbey from about the same time. The original Burghfield Bridge was commissioned by Matthew De Burghfield, being the lord of the latter manor in the early 13th century, but later on the family had arguments with King Edward I
over who should repair it There was a minor skirmish there after the First Battle of Newbury
in 1643.
Sheffield Manor (originally Sewelle) was located at what is now Sheffield Bottom, at the junction of Jaques's Lane and Station Road. The manor of Sheffield was granted by the Count of Evreux to St Martin-de-Noyon, Charleval, in circa 1086, as an alien Benedictine cell, and was leased privately after 1166-7. Reading Abbey gained possession in 1270. Although known locally as the Priory, it was only a manor and later a grange with a chapel and mill. It is a scheduled ancient monument number 1302719.
Burghfield Mill is a dis-used water mill to the West of Burghfield Bridge
, now converted to residential apartments. The original mill of Burghfield was split in two equal portions, each attached to one of the Burghfield Manors.
Sheffield Manor was served by its own Mill further upstream, and now falling within the neighbouring Theale parish. In 1811 the Sheffield Mills were paper-mills, but burnt down in 1877. The mill was afterwards bought by James Dewe of Burghfield Mill, who thus secured the water rights.
Downstream of Burghfield lies Southecote Mill, within Southecote parish. Upstream from Sheffield lies Tyle Mill, within Sulhamstead parish.
and the village was the childhood home of John Williams, 1st Baron Williams of Thame
(1500 – 14 October 1559) , an important servant of several Tudor
monarchs. Upon his death, having no male heirs, the manors of Burghfield were left to his daughter Margery (Margaret Williams of Rycote) and her husband, Sir Henry Norreys
. In 1560 Henry and Margery bestowed Burghfield Regis (now Burghfield Manor) and Burghfield Abbas (now Amners Court) to her cousin, Nicholas Williams. Sheffield Manor was retained in the Norreys family.
Moatlands Farm was apparently a moated house. It stood just south of Burghfield Mill, where the gravel pits are now. In the 18th century, it was the home of the May family.
Searle's Farm is an ancient Tudor building marooned in the middle of the gravel pits in northern Burghfield. One particular room in the house is said to be haunted. Apparently an unmarried serving girl, having discovered she was pregnant, committed suicide by throwing herself from the window during the 19th century. Even those who do not know the story will have a strange dream when staying in the room. The young girl appears, in a flowing white dress at the window, staring out over the surrounding countryside. The room is in darkness, but she is illuminated in a soft white light! Several visitors have born witness to this phenomenon; likewise to a similar light which is seen under the door to the same room when, within, there it is pitch black.
The Old Manor at Whitehouse Green is a small manor house built in 1685 and converted to a domestic dwelling house in the 20th Century. It is built of brick with vitreous headers and with an old tile gabled roof. It is a scheduled national monument number 543101.
Burghfield Bridge was rebuilt in stone circa 1770. It is a scheduled national monument no. 241548
(1749–1834), a Scottish physician who instituted health reform in the Royal Navy, had a country house at Culverlands in Burghfield. The house was enlarged in 1879 and was later occupied by Sir Charles Wyndham Murray
MP
. It is described as a plain plastered building with a balustraded parapet and slate roofs.
There is a old well with an Oak framed shelter situated in Burghfield Common in the corner of a small village green, known locally as The Wells, in Bunces Lane and at the Junction with Springwood Lane. The shelter bears the engraved inscription: "In memory of Queen Victoria (1819-1901) in the year of the coronation of her son Edward VII 1902"
track. First used competitively in 1949, it closed in 1974 and is now a housing estate.
monks, Fathers Oswald Dorman and Edward Fairhead, celebrated Mass for the hundreds of Irish who came to work in the local munitions factories at Burghfield and Grazeley Green (now the site of AWE Burghfield). After the Second World War, Mass was celebrated at Burghfield in the W.R.N.S. Hostel which later became H.M.S. Dauntless, and then at the old Bland School on the Reading Road. In 1961, St. Joseph's Church Hall, Clay Hill, Burghfield, was blessed. This incorporated an old army prefab on land purchased by Father Oswald Dorman in the late 1950s. The reforms of the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960s encouraged a further spate of church building. At Burghfield in 1973, it was decided to build a new church, dedicated to St. Oswald to commemorate the great labours of Father Oswald Dorman. Designed by Lance Wright of Pangbourne, this church was opened in 1976.
of St Mary
in Church Lane, Burghfield village, was originally built in the 12th century, but early in the Victorian era
it was completely demolished and replaced by a Norman
revival building designed by J.B. Clacy
of Reading and completed in 1843. The original church had a stepped wooden tower, and the building is depicted in one of the stained glass windows.
The parish church contains a number of church monuments from the old St. Mary's, including the alabaster effigy of an important historic figure, Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury
the father of Warwick the Kingmaker. He fought for the Yorkist
cause during the Wars of the Roses
, and was executed after the Battle of Wakefield
in 1460. He was buried first at Pontefract
, but his son transferred his body to the family mausoleum at Bisham Priory
and erected this effigy
as part of his monument
there. It is not clear why it was brought to Burghfield after the Dissolution of the Monasteries
. The effigy of a lady alongside him wears a headdress which is not thought to be of the right date to be his wife, but she may be one of the earlier Countesses of Salisbury buried at Bisham.
Other monuments from the old St. Mary's that survive in the 1843 building include a damaged early 14th century effigy of a knight, and two other recumbent stone effigies that have been defaced. There is also a memorial brass to Nicholas Williams (died 1568) and his two wives.
The church has six bells hung for change ringing
:
(GDFB) association is located in Burghfield Hill at Hillfields House, being the former residence of Mr. H.G. Willink The house is a red and blue brick gabled house with a slate roof, and has been much refurbished and extended to suit the charity's needs following their purchase of the house and grounds in 1992
West Berkshire
West Berkshire is a local government district in the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England, governed by a unitary authority . Its administrative capital is Newbury, located almost equidistantly between Bristol and London.-Geography:...
, England, close to the boundary with Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
.
Location
Burghfield is about 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of Reading. Burghfield parish includes two separate villages – Burghfield Common and Burghfield Village – and several small hamlets, including Burghfield BridgeBurghfield Bridge
Burghfield Bridge is a bridge and a hamlet in the Parish of Burghfield, which stands to the south of it in the English county of Berkshire.The settlement is situated between the village of Burghfield and the Reading suburb of Southcote.-History:...
, Burghfield Hill, Pingewood
Pingewood
Pingewood is a hamlet in the civil parish of Burghfield, to the south of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It lies to the Southwest of Burghfield Bridge...
, Trash Green, Whitehouse Green and Sheffield Bottom. Given the extent of the parish, it is bounded by several other parishes and villages.
Geography
In 1923 the parish of Burghfield had 4,309 acreAcre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s of land, of which 1,660 acres were arable, 1,940 acres permanent pasture and 163 acres woods and plantations. The land lies low in the valley of the Kennet, at an average altitude of a little over 100 feet (30.5 m) above the ordnance datum
Ordnance Datum
In the British Isles, an Ordnance Datum or OD is a vertical datum used by an ordnance survey as the basis for deriving altitudes on maps. A spot height may be expressed as AOD for "above ordnance datum". Usually mean sea level is used for the datum...
, rising in the south-west to a height of 302 feet (92 m).
The main settlements of Burghfield parish lie along Burghfield Road, the major road out of Reading. From north-east to south-west: Burghfield Bridge
Burghfield Bridge
Burghfield Bridge is a bridge and a hamlet in the Parish of Burghfield, which stands to the south of it in the English county of Berkshire.The settlement is situated between the village of Burghfield and the Reading suburb of Southcote.-History:...
is the closest to Reading and lies by the crossing of the Reading Road over the River Kennet
River Kennet
The Kennet is a river in the south of England, and a tributary of the River Thames. The lower reaches of the river are navigable to river craft and are known as the Kennet Navigation, which, together with the Avon Navigation, the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Thames, links the cities of Bristol...
; this is followed by Burghfield Village, after the crossing of the Burghfield Road over the M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
which runs through the north of the parish; Burghfield Hill is in the southern upland part of the parish, naturally enough, at the top of Burghfield Hill; and Burghfield Common – named after the parish common land
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
on which it was built and with by far the largest population – lies, in quick succession, the furthest south-west. The south-eastern part of Burghfield Common is known as Great Auclum (see History below).
In the north of the parish, the Kennet River valley, is surrounded by a number of man made lakes, marshland and willow scrub, with old water meadows and Osier beds to the north of the river. Further south, between the M4 motorway and Burghfield Village the ground is flat, and consists of farmland and pastureland with occasional small stands of deciduous woodland. At Burghfield Hill, the slopes are covered in grassland and some larger copses of deciduous woodland, and are dissected by a number of partially wooded valleys and small streams such as Clayhill Brook. The plateau gravels support grassland, deciduous woodland and Scots pine, with small areas of heath land persisting on Wokefield Common which borders Burghfield Common to the south. The grasslands within the Parish are grazed by a wide variety of cattle, sheep and horses.
The Parish is served by a number of footpaths and bridleways across the fields and open spaces as well as through the woods. These paths and bridleways can be enjoyed by walkers and nature lovers, and are an important resource for the Parish. There are a number of other paths and “cut-throughs” allowing pedestrians to move freely around the Parish, away from motorised traffic.
Geology
The parish lies in an area of clay, gravel and sand which was laid down in shallow, marine, coastal and fluvial river environments. The oldest sediments comprise sands deposited in a shallow sea overlain by reddish-brown Reading Formation clays. These later sediments were deposited on marshy mudflats crossed by river channels. Named after the Reading area, these largely fossil-poor clay outcrops in a narrow strip between the Chalk and the overlying London Clay. The dark bluish to brownish London Clay outcrops in a broad swathe between Windsor and Burghfield, and along the valley of the River Kennet towards Newbury. This was originally deposited in a shallow sub-tropical sea and contains the fossils of many marine animals such as bivalves, gastropods and sharks; as well as the remains of many species of plants, such as the seeds of palms, climbers, magnolias and mangroves. These can also be found in the surrounding London Clay and were probably washed out to sea by large rivers.Much of the Kennet Valley is defined as a functional flood plain, and is as a consequence subject to frequent flooding. There are areas in the flow of the river Kennet where drainage is not as good as it might be. There are also areas where the streams and rivers taking water away are nearing capacity and therefore heavy rains lead to localised flooding.
Gravel extraction
Since 1938 there has been much gravel extraction within the parish at Pingewood, this has led to the loss of many farms and cottages within the hamlet. In recent years the empty pits have been used for landfillLandfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
waste, however a number of earlier pits have been left to fill with water, and this has provided for various water sports, fishing and other leisure activities, as well as supporting a large water bird
Anatidae
Anatidae is the biological family of birds that includes ducks, geese and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica and on most of the world's islands and island groups...
population along with other aquatic flora and fauna.
Flora and fauna
The parish includes a number of important areas for local wildlife. Of particular significance is the extensive wetland area in the Kennet Valley which has been created following the extraction of gravel from what are currently lakes, and is now a haven for a wide range of water birds and other protected bird species, such as the NightingaleNightingale
The Nightingale , also known as Rufous and Common Nightingale, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae...
, and the Red Kite
Red Kite
The Red Kite is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly also occurred just...
; together with Kestrels, Buzzards and Peregrine Falcons, the latter of which can often be seen on thermals enjoying this habitat of the Kennet Meadows.
Watercourses
The parish is largely bounded by rivers, brooks and streams. The Clayhill BrookClayhill Brook
Clayhill Brook is a small stream in southern England, in the county of Berkshire. It rises at Benham's Gulley in the far West of Burghfield Common and runs through the Northern edge of the Village, forming the border between Burghfield Parish and Sulhamstead Parish. The brook, running to the North...
partially forms its Northwestern border with Sulhamstead
Sulhamstead
Sulhamstead is a village, electoral district and civil parish in Berkshire, England. It lies off the A4 national route between Reading and Thatcham, some west of central London.-Location:thumb|left|250px|1888 Ordnance Survey Parish Boundary Map...
. This brook travels North and Northeast to eventually join the River Kennet
River Kennet
The Kennet is a river in the south of England, and a tributary of the River Thames. The lower reaches of the river are navigable to river craft and are known as the Kennet Navigation, which, together with the Avon Navigation, the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Thames, links the cities of Bristol...
and Kennet and Avon Canal
Kennet and Avon Canal
The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of , made up of two lengths of navigable river linked by a canal. The name is commonly used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than solely to the central canal section...
near to Burghfield Mill, to the West of Burghfield Bridge.
The stream The Teg
The Teg
The Teg is a small stream in southern England, in the county of Berkshire. It rises in the West of Burghfield Common, in the county of Berkshire. The stream gently winds its way through the heart of Burghfield Common. Its source is close to the Willink School and much interesting wildlife can be...
gently winds its way through the heart of Burghfield Common. Its source is close to the Willink school and much interesting wildlife can be found long its length. The Teg winds Northeast and then East to join Foudry Brook
Foudry Brook
Foudry Brook is a small stream in southern England. It rises near the Hampshire village of Baughurst named as Beaumonts Stream or Beaumonts Brook.-Geography:...
, a tributary of the River Kennet and Kennet and Avon Canal, just South of Reading.
The Burghfield Brook
Burghfield Brook
Burghfield Brook is a small stream in southern England. It rises in Wokefield Common between the Berkshire villages of Mortimer and Burghfield Common. The Burghfield Brook forms Burghfields southern border with Wokefield Parish. A notable feature of this watercourse within Wokefield Common is...
forms Burghfield's southern border with Wokefield
Wokefield
Wokefield is a civil parish in the West Berkshire district of Berkshire, England, south of the borough of Reading. The parish includes the hamlets of Grazeley Green, Goddard's Green and Bloomfield Hatch, and the 18th century mansion of Wokefield Park...
and Grazeley
Grazeley
Grazeley is a small village and former civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. It lies about four miles south of Reading at . To the East lies the Village of Spencers Wood. To the West lie the villages of Grazeley Green and Wokefield. To the South lies the village of Beech Hill.-Local...
; a notable feature of this watercourse is Pullens Pond, formed where this brook is damned by a forest access road within Wokefield Common. To the East of this area the brook continues into a small valley, referred to as Burghfield Slade, which contains a larger reservoir of water. Burghfield Brook then continues to the Northeast, and in turn feeds into Foudry Brook, just South of the Teg.
Burghfields Eastern boundary is just east of the railway line, near Smallmead, running south from Reading. The northern boundary with Theale
Theale, Berkshire
Theale is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. The village has many of the attributes of a small town, with a high street lined with shops, pubs and restaurants.- Location :...
and the Southcote
Southcote, Berkshire
Southcote is a suburb and local government ward of Reading in the English county of Berkshire.The suburb of Southcote is bounded to the north by the Bath Road and Prospect Park, to the west by the more recently developed suburb of Fords Farm, to the south by the Holy Brook and the water meadows of...
area of Reading is formed by the Holy Brook
Holy Brook
The Holy Brook is a channel of the River Kennet in the vicinity of the English town of Reading, Berkshire. While of considerable historical significance, the origin and nature of the brook is still unclear...
and the Draper's Osier Bed Stream
Draper's Osier Bed Stream
Draper's Osier Bed Stream is a small stream in southern England, in the county of Berkshire. It is formed at a weir on the Kennet and Avon Canal, and travels east for a while, before merging with the head of the Holy Brook stream. An Osier bed is where historically willows were planted and coppiced...
.
To the north lies Sheffield Bottom and the River Kennet and Kennet and Avon Canal, which run through the very north of the parish and are, today, surrounded by vast flooded gravel pit
Gravel pit
Gravel pit is the term for an open cast working for extraction of gravel. Gravel pits often lie in river valleys where the water table is high, so they may fill naturally with water to form ponds or lakes. Old, abandoned gravel pits are normally used either as nature reserves, or as amenity areas...
s where there is much wildlife and where fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
and other water sports are popular pastimes. The Kennet and Avon Canal is crossed by road in two places near the northern borders of the parish, firstly at Burghfield Bridge, being a stone built road bridge, and secondly at Sheffield Bottom by a swing type canal bridge and a stone built road bridge. The road crossings at both are very narrow and are controlled by traffic lights. This excludes smaller footbridges, and the much later M4 motorway crossing of the Kennet and Avon Canal.
Hosehill Lake
In Sheffield Bottom, Hosehill Lake, falling also within Sulhamstead
Sulhamstead
Sulhamstead is a village, electoral district and civil parish in Berkshire, England. It lies off the A4 national route between Reading and Thatcham, some west of central London.-Location:thumb|left|250px|1888 Ordnance Survey Parish Boundary Map...
parish, is listed as a nature reserve, and is managed by Berkshire Countryside Service alongside the Theale Area Bird Conservation Group. The lake is bounded by a footpath, of approximately one mile, with several seating and bird viewing areas. The entrance to the reserve is opposite the Fox and Hounds Pub, Sunnyside, on Station Road, Sheffield Bottom (Theale). The site is important for its wildlife and habitats. It hosts a wide variety of water fowl in the winter, and nightingales join the butterflies and dragonflies in the spring.
Woodlands
Apart from the gravel pits, the area is mostly farmland. There are, however, still patches of scattered woodland: Wokefield Common (just beyond the Southern Parish boundary being the largest), Bennetts Hill Copse, Brick Kiln Copse, Deans Copse, Jame's Copse, Pinge Wood, Amner's Wood, Clayhill Copse, Omer's Gulley and Scratchface Copse.Wokefield Common
Wokefield Common has been declared a Wildlife Heritage Site by West Berkshire Councils Countryside Service. It is described as a quiet site with a network of paths leading through tall pine and broadleaf woodland, ponds, small areas of heather and rich wet gullies. Of particular significance are the heathland areas which support rare species including Slow Worms, Grass Snake
Grass Snake
The grass snake , sometimes called the ringed snake or water snake is a European non-venomous snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians.-Etymology:...
s and Adders
Viperidae
The Viperidae are a family of venomous snakes found all over the world, except in Antarctica, Australia, Ireland, Madagascar, Hawaii, various other isolated islands, and above the Arctic Circle. All have relatively long, hinged fangs that permit deep penetration and injection of venom. Four...
. The 60 Ha site is managed by the Countryside Service alongside the landowner and the Wokefield Common Advisory Committee. The main entrance is located off the Goring Lane on the outskirts of Burghfield, although there is a public bridleway access at the end of Bunces Lane, Burghfield Common. There are also public footpath access at the end of Palmers Lane and Springwood Lane, both also off of Bunces Lane, Burghfield Common.
Omer's Gulley
Omer's Gulley Wood is the strip of wood just behind Hunters Hill, Abbey Park, and Bluebell Drive. The larger part is owned by the Englefield Estate and the remainder by West Berkshire Council. The wood covers 3.6 hectares. The woodland is identified on very early maps of the parish and has been well coppiced for firewood in the past. 86 different plant species and 46 different birds have been found in Omer's Gully Wood, and there are lots of animals, such as foxes, deer, badgers, squirrels and rabbits. The woodland links up with other woodland by Omers Brook, such as Clayhill Copse to the north east, to form an important wildlife corridor.
Farming
There are numerous farms in the parish.- Amners farm
- Burghfield Farm
- Culverlands Farm
- Green Farm
- Holybrook Farm
- Hill farm
- James's Farm
- Hosehill Farm
- Knights Farm
- Kirtons Farm (now a Country Club)
- Moores Farm
- Nights Farm
- Pondhouse Farm
- Searles Farm (see 'History' below)
- Woolwichgreen Farm
Many farms to the North of Burghfield are now part of the Englefield
Englefield, Berkshire
Englefield is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. The village is mostly within the bounds of the private walled estate of Englefield House....
Estate
Local government
In 2001, the population of Burghfield was recorded as 5,894. In 1961, it was only 2,323. Burghfield has a parish council served by 19 parish councillorCouncillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
s, as well as being part of the unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
of West Berkshire
West Berkshire
West Berkshire is a local government district in the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England, governed by a unitary authority . Its administrative capital is Newbury, located almost equidistantly between Bristol and London.-Geography:...
. The parish council has several committees and sub-committees arranged to serve the various functions of the council, these include for:
- Environment and Recreation Committee
- Finance and Compliance Committee
- Planning Committee
- Village Hall Management Committee
- Parish Plan Committee
- Youth Forum Committee
- Communications and Parish Liaison Committee
- Burghfield and Mortimer Neighbourhood Action Group
- Allotments Management sub-committee
Burghfield also has its own 'Residents Association'.
Village design statement
The UK Government has stated that councils should pay close attention to the contents of non statutory parish and community plans as part of their community involvement in the production of the Local Development Framework (LDF). Burghfield Parish Council published a draft Village Design Statement in November 2010 after acceptance by West Berkshire Council. Its aim is to define what makes living in Burghfield special, and it will be subsequently used by those wanting to develop in the Parish. The Parish Planning Committee will be able to refer to it as a guide on how the Parish should look in the future.Population
The population in the parish has slowly risen over the last two centuries, but has risen sharply in the 1980s and 1990s as modern housing developments have been undertaken.| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1801 | 738 |
| 1961 | 2323 |
| 1981 | 3662 |
| 1986 | 5925 |
| 1998 | 6420 |
| 2001 | 6169 |
Transport
Transport in the parish is relatively restricted in terms of heavy vehicular access and public transport. Public transport is provided by the number 2 and 3 buses after a re-number and re-brand and new identity as a vitality bus on the 20th of April 9. The service is provided by Reading Buses whose routes lie along the Burghfield Road, and via Mortimer railway stationMortimer railway station
Mortimer railway station is a railway station in the village of Stratfield Mortimer in the county of Berkshire in England. The station is notable for its well-preserved Brunel-designed Great Western Railway station buildings, which are still in use...
which lies to the South, and is connected to Burghfield Common by a minibus shuttle at peak times. Burghfield Hill is served by route 2 and 2A, (replacing the old 143, 148 and 149 services).
Heavy vehicular access in the region is restricted by the multiple low and narrow bridges over the canal and railways which lie to the North and East.
The nearest railway stations to the parish are Theale railway station
Theale railway station
Theale railway station is a railway station in the village of Theale, Berkshire England. The station is served First Great Western local services between and , a semi-fast service between and and a limited semi-fast FGW service between London Paddington and , , and .The railway station was...
(on the Reading to Taunton Line
Reading to Taunton line
The Reading to Taunton line also known as the Berks and Hants is a major branch of the Great Western Main Line that diverges at Reading, running to Cogload Junction near Taunton, where it joins the Bristol to Exeter line....
) and Mortimer railway station
Mortimer railway station
Mortimer railway station is a railway station in the village of Stratfield Mortimer in the county of Berkshire in England. The station is notable for its well-preserved Brunel-designed Great Western Railway station buildings, which are still in use...
(on the Reading to Basingstoke Line
Reading to Basingstoke Line
The Reading to Basingstoke Line is a short railway link between the South Western Main Line and the Great Western Main Line, constructed by the Great Western Railway between 1846 and 1848. The line is served by First Great Western local services between Reading and Basingstoke, which stop at the...
). Both stations are located approximately 2.3 miles (3.7 km) away - albeit in entirely opposite directions.
The parish is located near to Reading services
Reading services
Reading services comprises a pair of adjacent motorway service areas on the M4 motorway to the south of the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire. The two areas are on opposite sides of the motorway, with Reading West services serving westbound traffic and Reading East services serving...
on the M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
, although the nearest access point to the road (junction 11) is located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to the east.
Kennet and Avon Canal
The Kennet and Avon canal passes through the north of the parish. It links the River KennetRiver Kennet
The Kennet is a river in the south of England, and a tributary of the River Thames. The lower reaches of the river are navigable to river craft and are known as the Kennet Navigation, which, together with the Avon Navigation, the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Thames, links the cities of Bristol...
at Newbury
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
to the River Avon
River Avon, Bristol
The River Avon is an English river in the south west of the country. To distinguish it from a number of other River Avons in Britain, this river is often also known as the Lower Avon or Bristol Avon...
at Bath, but forms just part of a larger navigation between the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
at Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
and the Floating Harbour
Bristol Harbour
Bristol Harbour is the harbour in the city of Bristol, England. The harbour covers an area of . It has existed since the 13th century but was developed into its current form in the early 19th century by installing lock gates on a tidal stretch of the River Avon in the centre of the city and...
at Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. The River Kennet was made navigable to Newbury in 1723, and the River Avon to Bath in 1727. The canal between Newbury and Bath opened in 1810.
In the later 19th century and early 20th century the canal fell into disuse following competition from the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
, who owned the canal. In the latter half of the 20th century the canal was restored, largely by volunteers, and today is a popular heritage tourism
Heritage tourism
Cultural heritage tourism is a branch of tourism oriented towards the cultural heritage of the location where tourism is occurring...
destination, for boating, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, walking
Walking
Walking is one of the main gaits of locomotion among legged animals, and is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults over the stiff limb or limbs with each step...
and cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
. It is also important for wildlife conservation
Wildlife conservation
Wildlife conservation is the preservation, protection, or restoration of wildlife and their environment, especially in relation to endangered and vulnerable species. All living non-domesticated animals, even if bred, hatched or born in captivity, are considered wild animals. Wildlife represents all...
.
There are moorings on the Kennet and Avon Canal on the offside bank downstream of Burghfield Island and at the layby on Burghfield Island (near Burghfield Bridge). The canal has a number of locks, Sheffield Lock
Sheffield Lock
Sheffield Lock, at , is a lock on the Kennet and Avon Canal, in the civil parish of Burghfield in the English county of Berkshire. It is also sometimes, incorrectly, known as Shenfield Lock....
, Garston Lock
Garston Lock
Garston Lock is a lock on the Kennet and Avon Canal. It is near the M4 motorway and near Reading, England.Garston Lock was built between 1718 and 1723 under the supervision of the engineer John Hore of Newbury, and this stretch of the river is now administered by British Waterways and known as the...
and Burghfield Lock
Burghfield Lock
Burghfield Lock is a lock on the River Kennet at Burghfield in the English county of Berkshire.Burghfield Lock was built between 1718 and 1723 under the supervision of the engineer John Hore of Newbury, and this stretch of the river is now administered by British Waterways and known as the Kennet...
, and a swing-bridge along the Burghfield stretch.
Services
There are now a number of services in Burghfield Common, including a recently developed Post Office with a new Nisa Today's Supermarket, an Esso petrol station incorporating an 'On the run' mini-market, a Pharmacy, a Veterinary, the Forge Garage, an Estate agent, a Baker, a Window and Conservatory Outlet, a Pet food shop, a Hairdresser, a Greengrocer, a Health Centre, a Veterinary Surgery, a CO-OP (c), a "Village stores", a Bangladeshi Restaurant/Takeaway ("Bahgecha"), a Chinese Takeaway, and a Burger and Grill fast food joint. There is also a Village Hall in the area.There are a number of public houses in Burghfield. The Hatchgate Inn and The Six Bells sit opposite each other in Burghfield Village, either side of the main Burghfield (Reading) Road. In Burghfield Common there is The Rising Sun and The Bantam. In Sheffield Bottom is the Fox and Hounds.
There is a hotel, Roselawn Hotel, formerly a large Victorian farmhouse, located near the bottom of the Reading Road on Burghfield Hill.
Exchange
Burghfield Common has its own telephone/ADSLAsymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
Asymmetric digital subscriber line is a type of digital subscriber line technology, a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over copper telephone lines than a conventional voiceband modem can provide. It does this by utilizing frequencies that are not used by a voice...
exchange, serving 2,891 residential premises, and 91 commercial premises. The exchange also covers the nearby villages of Ufton Nervet, and Sulhamstead. Recently, Talk-Talk unbundled the exchange for use with their up to 24mb/s service (ADSL2+). Talk-Talk is currently the only provider to offer this service. No cable services exist in the village.
Water
Burghfield Common and surrounding villages are served by a large water towerWater tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
located to the Southwestern end of the village, just inside Wokefield Common. There is a small sewage works on Clayhill Brook, between Burghfield village and Trash Green.
Power station
There is a 45MW gas fired Combined Cycle Gas Turbine power station at Cottage Lane, Pingewood, known as Burghfield Generation Plant. It was opened in 1998 and is operated by Scottish and Southern Energy Generation Ltd. It required the laying of a 9 km, 200mm-diameter gas pipeline.Bronze Ages
There are a number of Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
sites within the parish, unfortunately they are mostly all destroyed by gravel pit workings in Pingewood, for example possible Bronze Age barrows and ditches once sat where the Burghfield sailing club now sails, at , or now sit under the M4 motorway. There was also a barrow
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
cemetery at Field Farm in Pingewood, at , comprising ten round barrows which were visible on aerial photographs along with the cropmarks
Cropmark
Cropmarks or Crop marks are a means through which sub-surface archaeological, natural and recent features may be visible from the air or a vantage point on higher ground or a temporary platform...
of a partially visible rectangular enclosure, and parallel ditched boundaries. Four of the barrows were excavated between 1985-88 in advance of gravel extraction and were found to contain primary cremation burials, some of which were urned. Excavations have shown that this site was later used for burials when the Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
moved into the area. In Old English, they named the place 'Hill Field'.
There have also been numerous finds of Bronze age spearheads, and an axe head and a sword in the Pingewood and River Kennet area.
Iron Ages
Of iron age history there is only a ditch and some pits in Burghfield near Amners Farm at .Roman
There are many indications of Roman settlement in the parish. The first is a possible prehistoric or Roman settlement and field system near the river Kennett, to the west of Burghfield Mill, but now lost to gravel pits. The earthworks were visible from aerial photographs, and formed a system of fragmented conjoined rectilinear enclosures. An incomplete rectangular enclosure, measuring 12m across, could be the remains of a building. The cropmarks extend over an area measuring approximately 700m by 450m. It is possible that some of the cropmarks may relate to much later features, possibly Medieval or Post medieval field boundaries.Other possible Roman settlements are indicated by cropmarks in the same Pingeword area slightly further to the east and to the south west. Again, some features have been lost to gravel pits.
Again in Pingewood, at Berrys Lane and Searle's Farm Lane, there are signs of a possible Roman road flanked by possible field systems and/or settlements, which are/were visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs. The side ditches of the road are visible extending in a north easterly direction for 950m. It may be part of the Roman road from Silchester
Silchester
Silchester is a village and civil parish about north of Basingstoke in Hampshire. It is adjacent to the county boundary with Berkshire and about south-west of Reading....
to Verulamium
Verulamium
Verulamium was an ancient town in Roman Britain. It was sited in the southwest of the modern city of St Albans in Hertfordshire, Great Britain. A large portion of the Roman city remains unexcavated, being now park and agricultural land, though much has been built upon...
. The settlements or field systems are defined by a series of ditches, sometimes double ditches, which are parallel and perpendicular to the road. There are three concentrations of ditch systems which appear to form fragments of a larger system of conjoined enclosures. Again, unfortunately, these features have been destroyed by gravel extraction.
There have been finds of roman coins, pottery, and other artefacts in the region.
Early history
According to David Nash Ford's Royal Berkshire History: "Burghfield was a pre-Roman Celtic settlement. are ancient earthworks across the parish, particularly around Pingewood, which preserves the old Celtic word 'pen' meaning head, peak, tip or end. The 'ge' is a contraction of 'coed', Celtic for wood. When the Saxons moved into the area in the 5th century, they did not understand the meaning and added their own descriptive word 'wood' on the end. Burghfield itself is Saxon for 'Hill Field'. The village is built on the slopes of Burghfield Hill, but such a name seems a bit unlikely. It's possible that the prefix is a corruption of an earlier lost Celtic word; or it may refer to a Bronze Age burial barrow rather than a hill."Other references trace the changing name of the village as follows:
- Borgefelle (6th Century.);
- Burgefeld, Berfeld (7th and 8th centuries);
- Burefeld (14th Century);
- Burfield (16th to 18th centuries)
Burghfield appears to have been divided from very early times into two equal portions, each containing 1½ hides
Hide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
of land, and this division is probably the origin of the two manors of Burghfield that existed later.
Norman Era
Burghfield is mentioned in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
(circa 1086) as follows:
"Berchefelde, or Borgefel. Lands of Ralph de Mortemar. The same Ralph holds Burghfield, and a certain (knight) holds of him. Abbot Elsi held it of the old monastery of the Church at Winchester, by witness of the shire in the time of King Edward, and afterwards until he was outlawed."
These manors formerly belonging to Queen Emma of Normandy
Emma of Normandy
Emma , was a daughter of Richard the Fearless, Duke of Normandy, by his second wife Gunnora. She was Queen consort of England twice, by successive marriages: first as second wife to Æthelred the Unready of England ; and then second wife to Cnut the Great of Denmark...
, until her death in 1052. The lands appear to have been transferred to Ralph de Mortemar around 1070, and they remained in that family until the death of Edmund, the last Earl of March in 1425. The heir to the lands was his nephew, a minor, Richard Duke of York, but on his attainder
Attainder
In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura is the metaphorical 'stain' or 'corruption of blood' which arises from being condemned for a serious capital crime . It entails losing not only one's property and hereditary titles, but typically also the right to pass them on to one's heirs...
in 1459 the land passed to the crown.
Additionally Sir Nicholas De La Beche (1291–1345) is known to have owned Burghfield at some time. The De La Beche family were powerful landowners and knights in the 14th century. Many of them were retainers to the king, warders to the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, and Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
s of Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
and Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. The family were influential during the reign of Edward II
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
and Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
, and were embroiled in the royal intrigue of the time.
There were three manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
s: Burghfield Regis, Burghfield Abbas and Sheffield (or Soefeld).
King Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
, gave the Burghfield manor its Royal title of 'Regis'. Its manor house, alias Nether Court, stood on the site now occupied by the Rectory. This manner was sub-tenanted to the family of Thomas de Burghfield, who proudly took his name from the village, sometime before 1175. The De Burghfields were also sub-tenants of Burghfield Abbas, which had been owned by Reading Abbey from about the same time. The original Burghfield Bridge was commissioned by Matthew De Burghfield, being the lord of the latter manor in the early 13th century, but later on the family had arguments with King Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
over who should repair it There was a minor skirmish there after the First Battle of Newbury
First Battle of Newbury
The First Battle of Newbury was a battle of the First English Civil War that was fought on 20 September 1643 between a Royalist army, under the personal command of King Charles, and a Parliamentarian force led by the Earl of Essex...
in 1643.
Sheffield Manor (originally Sewelle) was located at what is now Sheffield Bottom, at the junction of Jaques's Lane and Station Road. The manor of Sheffield was granted by the Count of Evreux to St Martin-de-Noyon, Charleval, in circa 1086, as an alien Benedictine cell, and was leased privately after 1166-7. Reading Abbey gained possession in 1270. Although known locally as the Priory, it was only a manor and later a grange with a chapel and mill. It is a scheduled ancient monument number 1302719.
River Kennet Mills
There were originally two mills on the River Kennet attributed to the parish, although slight changes to parish boundaries in modern times means that one mill has been lost.Burghfield Mill is a dis-used water mill to the West of Burghfield Bridge
Burghfield Bridge
Burghfield Bridge is a bridge and a hamlet in the Parish of Burghfield, which stands to the south of it in the English county of Berkshire.The settlement is situated between the village of Burghfield and the Reading suburb of Southcote.-History:...
, now converted to residential apartments. The original mill of Burghfield was split in two equal portions, each attached to one of the Burghfield Manors.
Sheffield Manor was served by its own Mill further upstream, and now falling within the neighbouring Theale parish. In 1811 the Sheffield Mills were paper-mills, but burnt down in 1877. The mill was afterwards bought by James Dewe of Burghfield Mill, who thus secured the water rights.
Downstream of Burghfield lies Southecote Mill, within Southecote parish. Upstream from Sheffield lies Tyle Mill, within Sulhamstead parish.
Tudor and Elizabethan Era
The Williams family bought all three manors after the Dissolution of the MonasteriesDissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
and the village was the childhood home of John Williams, 1st Baron Williams of Thame
John Williams, 1st Baron Williams of Thame
John Williams, 1st Baron Williams of Thame was Treasurer of the King's Jewels, Lord Chamberlain of England and Lord President of the Council of the Welsh Marches...
(1500 – 14 October 1559) , an important servant of several Tudor
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
monarchs. Upon his death, having no male heirs, the manors of Burghfield were left to his daughter Margery (Margaret Williams of Rycote) and her husband, Sir Henry Norreys
Henry Norris, 1st Baron Norreys
Henry Norris , Baron Norris belonged to an old Berkshire family, many members of which had held positions at the English court. He was the son of Sir Henry Norreys, who was beheaded for his supposed adultery with Queen Anne Boleyn, and Mary Fiennes Henry Norris (or Norreys), Baron Norris (15257...
. In 1560 Henry and Margery bestowed Burghfield Regis (now Burghfield Manor) and Burghfield Abbas (now Amners Court) to her cousin, Nicholas Williams. Sheffield Manor was retained in the Norreys family.
Moatlands Farm was apparently a moated house. It stood just south of Burghfield Mill, where the gravel pits are now. In the 18th century, it was the home of the May family.
Searle's Farm is an ancient Tudor building marooned in the middle of the gravel pits in northern Burghfield. One particular room in the house is said to be haunted. Apparently an unmarried serving girl, having discovered she was pregnant, committed suicide by throwing herself from the window during the 19th century. Even those who do not know the story will have a strange dream when staying in the room. The young girl appears, in a flowing white dress at the window, staring out over the surrounding countryside. The room is in darkness, but she is illuminated in a soft white light! Several visitors have born witness to this phenomenon; likewise to a similar light which is seen under the door to the same room when, within, there it is pitch black.
The Old Manor at Whitehouse Green is a small manor house built in 1685 and converted to a domestic dwelling house in the 20th Century. It is built of brick with vitreous headers and with an old tile gabled roof. It is a scheduled national monument number 543101.
Burghfield Bridge was rebuilt in stone circa 1770. It is a scheduled national monument no. 241548
18th and 19th centuries
Sir Gilbert BlaneGilbert Blane
Sir Gilbert Blane of Blanefield, 1st Baronet FRSE FRS MRCP was a Scottish physician who instituted health reform in the Royal Navy....
(1749–1834), a Scottish physician who instituted health reform in the Royal Navy, had a country house at Culverlands in Burghfield. The house was enlarged in 1879 and was later occupied by Sir Charles Wyndham Murray
Charles Wyndham Murray
Col Sir Charles Wyndham Murray KCB GCStJ was a British Army officer and politician. He served as a Conservative Member of Parliament MP for Bath from 1892–1906 and as Gentleman Usher of the Scarlet Rod in the Order of the Bath from 1913 until his death.-Early life and education:Charles Wyndham...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
. It is described as a plain plastered building with a balustraded parapet and slate roofs.
There is a old well with an Oak framed shelter situated in Burghfield Common in the corner of a small village green, known locally as The Wells, in Bunces Lane and at the Junction with Springwood Lane. The shelter bears the engraved inscription: "In memory of Queen Victoria (1819-1901) in the year of the coronation of her son Edward VII 1902"
World War II
In the early Part of World War II, several wartime installations and anti-invasion measures were installed across the parish, including:- A Royal Ordnance Explosives Filling Factory (no.18), construction began in 1940 and production in 1942. One of the last six ROFFs built during World War II. In 1953 the factory was extensively reconstructed for production of missiles. It is still in use today.
- Theale airfield, a military airfield opened in 1941 and closed in 1948. The airfield consisted of arass landing areas of about 900 by 800 yards, and was bounded to the north by the Kennet and Avon Canal. It was provided with Blister aircraft hangars and a Type T1 aircraft hangar. Accommodation for airforce personnel was still under construction when the airfield was already in use, and personnel were housed temporarily at the requisitioned Sulhamstead House. Initially the unofficial role of the airfield had been as a relief landing ground for Woodley Airfield (under the name of Sheffield Farm), but when it was officially opened it was renamed as Theale. It was primarily used for training by No.26 Elementary Flying Training School, and later in 1944 by No.128 Gliding School. After the war flying ceased and the airfield was used by the Air Cadets until its closure in 1948. Subsequently the site was bought for gravel extraction and now most of the site has been quarried away by gravel pits. Now only only two small areas of the airfield remain, the north-west corner, on which stands a wooden house, and to the southwest where part of the main technical site still stands. This includes a Nissen hutNissen hutA Nissen hut is a prefabricated steel structure made from a half-cylindrical skin of corrugated steel, a variant of which was used extensively during World War II.-Description:...
, two other huts, and the 'Tl' hangar, which is used to accommodate vehicles used on the adjacent residual gravel workings. - A heavy anti-aircraft battery at Amner's Farm, Burghfield, documented as extant in 1942 when it was not armed, but today there are no remains.
- Ten pillboxesBritish hardened field defences of World War IIBritish hardened field defences of World War II were small fortified structures constructed as a part of British anti-invasion preparations. They were popularly known as pillboxes by reference to their shape.-Design and development:...
, including:- One type 26 pillbox, with roofed annexe attached, in Whitley, South of Kirton's Farm Road, South-West of Reading.
- Two type 28a anti-tank gun emplacements at Garston LockGarston LockGarston Lock is a lock on the Kennet and Avon Canal. It is near the M4 motorway and near Reading, England.Garston Lock was built between 1718 and 1723 under the supervision of the engineer John Hore of Newbury, and this stretch of the river is now administered by British Waterways and known as the...
, Kennet and Avon Canal, Theale. The first is adjacent to the lower lock gate and is also a Grade II listed building . The second is on the north bank of the Canal, almost touching the balance beam of the top gate paddle. It is in undergrowth but in good condition with the interior accessible and also in good condition. The west facing anti-tank embrasure is now obscured by bushes. Again a grade II listed building. - One type 22 shellproof pillbox at the edge of large open field, about 50 metres north of the Kennet and Avon canal. There is some deterioration to the outer shell but the structure is basically intact.
- Two type 28a anti-tank gun emplacements, to the east and west of Burghfield Mill, near the river Kennet.
- One type 22 shellproof pillbox, next to a footbridge on the north bank of the Kennet and Avon canal east of Burghfield Lock. It is surrounded by trees and bushes, but not overgrown, and internally in good condition.
- One type 22 shellproof pillbox at Greengates in Pingewood and south of the Kennet and Avon canal.
- One rectangular anti-tank pillbox forming part of a stop line along the Kennet and Avon Canal, at Burghfield Bridge.
- One pillbox off of Kirtons Farm Lane in Pingewood.
- An anti-tank ditch at Burghfield.
- A fortified house. Iverne House is about 100 metres south of Burghfield Bridge and was originally a stable. This was converted into a two storey shell-proof infantry strongpoint around 1941/42. There are gun ports clearly visible from the main Burghfield Road. The building was converted to a private dwelling in 1994.
- One searchlight battery, no. 508 36, at Searls Farm. It was manned by the 342nd Searchlight Battery under the command of the 35th Anti-Aircraft Battalion. The battery was operational by the 1st January 1939. Searchlight sites typically comprised a small ring-ditch to provide the crew with shelter during an air raid, a predictor emplacement for calculating the height and range of targets, a light anti-aircraft machine gun pit, a generator and hutted accommodation for the crew.
Post war
Great Auclum at Burghfield Common was the site of a famous speed hill climbGreat Auclum National Speed Hill Climb
Great Auclum National Speed Hill Climb was a motorcar course close to Burghfield Common in the English county of Berkshire.It was based in the grounds of a large country house, formerly owned by a family connected to Huntley and Palmer - the famous biscuit manufacturers at nearby Reading, Berkshire...
track. First used competitively in 1949, it closed in 1974 and is now a housing estate.
Burghfield Common Methodist Church
Located on Burghfield (Reading) Road, Burghfield Common, opposite the village hall.St Oswalds Roman Catholic Church
The church is located at Abbey Park, Clay Hill, Burghfield Common. During the Second World War, two DouaiDouai Abbey
Douai Abbey is a Benedictine Abbey at Woolhampton, near Thatcham, in the English county of Berkshire, situated within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth. Monks from the monastery of St. Edmund's, in Douai, France, came to Woolhampton in 1903 when the community left France as a result of...
monks, Fathers Oswald Dorman and Edward Fairhead, celebrated Mass for the hundreds of Irish who came to work in the local munitions factories at Burghfield and Grazeley Green (now the site of AWE Burghfield). After the Second World War, Mass was celebrated at Burghfield in the W.R.N.S. Hostel which later became H.M.S. Dauntless, and then at the old Bland School on the Reading Road. In 1961, St. Joseph's Church Hall, Clay Hill, Burghfield, was blessed. This incorporated an old army prefab on land purchased by Father Oswald Dorman in the late 1950s. The reforms of the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960s encouraged a further spate of church building. At Burghfield in 1973, it was decided to build a new church, dedicated to St. Oswald to commemorate the great labours of Father Oswald Dorman. Designed by Lance Wright of Pangbourne, this church was opened in 1976.
St Mary's Parish Church
The Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of St Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
in Church Lane, Burghfield village, was originally built in the 12th century, but early in the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
it was completely demolished and replaced by a Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
revival building designed by J.B. Clacy
John Clacy
John Barry Clacy was a Victorian architect whose practice was centred on Berkshire, England.-Career:Most of Clacy's significant works are Gothic Revival buildings, but the Corn Exchange in Reading that he designed with F. Hawkes is in a style that Nikolaus Pevsner described as "free, debased...
of Reading and completed in 1843. The original church had a stepped wooden tower, and the building is depicted in one of the stained glass windows.
The parish church contains a number of church monuments from the old St. Mary's, including the alabaster effigy of an important historic figure, Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury
Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury
Richard Neville, jure uxoris 5th Earl of Salisbury and 7th and 4th Baron Montacute, KG, PC was a Yorkist leader during the early parts of the Wars of the Roses.-Background:...
the father of Warwick the Kingmaker. He fought for the Yorkist
House of York
The House of York was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, three members of which became English kings in the late 15th century. The House of York was descended in the paternal line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, the fourth surviving son of Edward III, but also represented...
cause during the Wars of the Roses
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
, and was executed after the Battle of Wakefield
Battle of Wakefield
The Battle of Wakefield took place at Sandal Magna near Wakefield, in West Yorkshire in Northern England, on 30 December 1460. It was a major battle of the Wars of the Roses...
in 1460. He was buried first at Pontefract
Pontefract
Pontefract is an historic market town in West Yorkshire, England. Traditionally in the West Riding, near the A1 , the M62 motorway and Castleford. It is one of the five towns in the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield and has a population of 28,250...
, but his son transferred his body to the family mausoleum at Bisham Priory
Bisham Abbey
Bisham Abbey is a Grade I listed manor house at Bisham in the English county of Berkshire. The name is taken from the now lost monastery which once stood alongside. Bisham Abbey was previously named Bisham Priory, and was the traditional resting place of many Earls of Salisbury...
and erected this effigy
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
as part of his monument
Church monument
A church monument is an architectural or sculptural memorial to a dead person or persons, located within a Christian church. It can take various forms, from a simple wall tablet to a large and elaborate structure which may include an effigy of the deceased person and other figures of familial or...
there. It is not clear why it was brought to Burghfield after the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
. The effigy of a lady alongside him wears a headdress which is not thought to be of the right date to be his wife, but she may be one of the earlier Countesses of Salisbury buried at Bisham.
Other monuments from the old St. Mary's that survive in the 1843 building include a damaged early 14th century effigy of a knight, and two other recumbent stone effigies that have been defaced. There is also a memorial brass to Nicholas Williams (died 1568) and his two wives.
The church has six bells hung for change ringing
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
:
| Bell | Weight | Inscription | Bell Founder | Date Dedicated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treble | 5 cwt Hundredweight The hundredweight or centum weight is a unit of mass defined in terms of the pound . The definition used in Britain differs from that used in North America. The two are distinguished by the terms long hundredweight and short hundredweight:* The long hundredweight is defined as 112 lb, which... 0 qr 1 lb Pound (mass) The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement... |
254 kg | Fear God, Honour the King. | Mears and Stainbank Whitechapel Bell Foundry The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. The foundry is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain... |
20 December 1888 |
| 2nd | 5 cwt 3 qr 18 lb | 300 kg | Praise God in His Sanctuary, Praise Him in the firmament of His Power. |
||
| 3rd | 7 cwt 0 qr 23 lb | 366 kg | Let Christ be known around, And loved where'er we sound. |
||
| 4th | 7 cwt 2 qr 15 lb | 388 kg | Then shall true joys abound. | ||
| 5th | 9 cwt 1 qr 20 lb | 479 kg | Before Him lowly fall Whene'er we lift our call. |
||
| Tenor | 11 cwt 3 qr 0 lb | 597 kg | And Praise Him Lord of all. |
Charities
The headquarters of the UK Guide Dogs for the BlindThe Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association is a British charitable organisation founded in 1934.Guide Dogs provides independence and freedom to thousands of blind and partially-sighted people across the UK through the provision of guide dogs, mobility and other rehabilitation services...
(GDFB) association is located in Burghfield Hill at Hillfields House, being the former residence of Mr. H.G. Willink The house is a red and blue brick gabled house with a slate roof, and has been much refurbished and extended to suit the charity's needs following their purchase of the house and grounds in 1992
Education
Education in the parish is provided by the following schools:- Mrs Blands Infant and Nursery School, Jordan Lane, Burghfield Common
- Burghfield St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Theale Road, Burghfield Village,
- Garlands Junior School, Clayhill Road, Burghfield Common
- The Willink SchoolThe Willink SchoolThe Willink School is a co-educational comprehensive located in the village of Burghfield Common, Berkshire. The school was founded in 1957, becoming fully comprehensive in 1975.-Language College:...
(Secondary School and 6th form college), School Lane, Burghfield Common. Named after a prominent local family, The school provides for the secondary schooling of many of the surrounding villages.
War memorials
There are a number of war memorials in the parish, which commemorate the local lives lost in the two great wars:- At St.Mary's Church, Burghfield, memorial no.7784. A stone cross 5m high listing the names of 37 men who gave their lives in the first world war. The monument was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield, and was laid down in 1920.
- At Sulhamstead House, memorial no.7785. A plaque within the Thames Valley Police training college, listing the names of 12 men who died in the first world war, and 8 men who lost their lives in the second world war.
Military establishments
- An Atomic Weapons EstablishmentAtomic Weapons EstablishmentThe Atomic Weapons Establishment is responsible for the design, manufacture and support of warheads for the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent. AWE plc is responsible for the day-to-day operations of AWE...
is located in the parish. Previously a Royal Ordnance Explosives Filling Factory, (see "History" above), it is now known as AWE BurghfieldAtomic Weapons EstablishmentThe Atomic Weapons Establishment is responsible for the design, manufacture and support of warheads for the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent. AWE plc is responsible for the day-to-day operations of AWE...
, it is responsible for the final assembly of TridentTrident missileThe Trident missile is a submarine-launched ballistic missile equipped with multiple independently-targetable reentry vehicles . The Fleet Ballistic Missile is armed with nuclear warheads and is launched from nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines . Trident missiles are carried by fourteen...
mounted nuclear warheads, their in-service maintenance and their eventual decommissioning. - There was a WRNSWomen's Royal Naval ServiceThe Women's Royal Naval Service was the women's branch of the Royal Navy.Members included cooks, clerks, wireless telegraphists, radar plotters, weapons analysts, range assessors, electricians and air mechanics...
establishment at Burghfield, named , from 1947 to 1981.
Sports and leisure
As well as taking advantage of the numerous public footpaths that criss cross the parish, there are many other sports and leisure ameneties in and around Burghfield, these include for:- Burghfield Air cadets (2402 (Burghfield) Squadron Air Training Corps).
- Burghfield and District Horticultural Society
- Burghfield Bowls Club.
- Burghfield Camera Club.
- Burghfield Common Library
- Burghfield Community Sports Association - providing the facilities for Sqash, Football, Cricket and other sports.
- Burghfield Football Club - promoting the playing of association football by boys and girls living in Burghfield and the surrounding area.
- Burghfield Golf Course.
- Burghfield Island Boat Club.
- Burghfield Sailing ClubBurghfield Sailing ClubBurghfield Sailing Club is an inland sailing club located close to the town of Theale in Berkshire near Reading in the south of England. The club and lake are easily seen from the M4 motorway as the westbound lane approaches Junction 12...
, at Sheffield Bottom - one of the largest inland sailing clubs in the United Kingdom. - Burghfield Scouts
- Burghfield Toy Library
- Burghfield Women's Institute.
- Burghfield Youth Club.
- Willink Leisure Centre & Physicals Fitness Club - 25 m indoor swimming pool, outdoor sports area, sports hall & gymnasium
External links
- Burghfield Parish Council
- Royal Berkshire History: Burghfield
- St Mary's Parish Church
- Burghfield Football Club
- Burghfield Sailing Club
- Burghfield Residents Association
- AWE Burghfield Royal Ordnance Factory
- Burghfield & District Horticultural Society
- Burghfield Allotment Association
- Burghfield Common Website
- Roselawn Hotel
- Friends of Omer's Gulley
- Burghfield Parish Council Village Design Statement