Emmer Green
Encyclopedia
Emmer Green is a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...

 of Reading, Berkshire
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....

, in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, situated immediately north of Caversham
Caversham, Berkshire
Caversham is a suburb and former village in the unitary authority of Reading, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, within the royal county of Berkshire, on the opposite bank from the rest of Reading...

 on the border with Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....

.

History

Emmer Green has five former mansions. Two are now converted for residential use; Rosehill House and Notley Place. Rosehill House, standing in 14 acres of ground, was once part of Caversham Manor, the first building being erected in 1791. Martin John Sutton, of Sutton's Seeds
Suttons Seeds
Suttons Seeds is a long established supplier of seeds, bulbs, and other horticultural products. Today based in English town of Paignton, the company supplies its products worldwide, and is part of the Vilmorin Clause & Compagnie group of companies.- History :...

, lived there, the house then being called Kidmore Grange. In 1923 it was bought for the Oratory Preparatory School
The Oratory Preparatory School
The Oratory Preparatory School is a Catholic day and boarding school for just over 400 boys and girls from 3 to 13. Founded by Cardinal John Henry Newman, the school continues to provide an education which is rooted in the traditions and teaching of the Roman Catholic Church.The Oratory Preparatory...

; then from the outbreak of the last war until 1958 it accommodated part of The Salvation Army's Headquarters as staff were evacuated from central London. The house has since been converted into flats and a housing estate built on the grounds. The third, Caversham Park
Caversham Park
Caversham Park is a Victorian stately home with parkland in the suburb of Caversham, on the outskirts of Reading, England. Historically it was in Oxfordshire, but since 1911 it has been in Berkshire.-Early History:...

, is owned by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

, while Grove House has become Highdown School
Highdown School
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre is an academy in Emmer Green on the outskirts of Reading, Berkshire, England. It has a capacity for approximately 1450 students aged 11–18.Highdown School has three Grade II listed buildings within its grounds...

. Caversham Place was designed by the architect Clough Williams-Ellis
Clough Williams-Ellis
Sir Bertram Clough Williams-Ellis, CBE, MC was an English-born Welsh architect known chiefly as creator of the Italianate village of Portmeirion in North Wales.-Origins, education and early career:...

 for Major-General Sir Cecil Pereira
George Pereira
Brigadier-General George Edward Pereira, CB, CMG, DSO was a British explorer in Central Asia, Tibet and Western China; a soldier, writer and diplomatist.-Early life and family:...

, whose brother The Rev Edward Thomas Pereira was headmaster and benefactor of The Oratory School
The Oratory School
The Oratory School is a Roman Catholic, independent school for boys in Woodcote, Berkshire. It is the last Catholic all-boys boarding school remaining in Great Britain. It has approximately 420 pupils...

.

Geography

Emmer Green is bordered by the extensive nature reserve at Clayfield Copse and Blackhouse Woods and also by the tip of the South Downs at Bugs Bottom (also known as Hemdean Bottom). There is a cycle path to Wallingford and access to Balmore Park which overlooks Caversham
Caversham, Berkshire
Caversham is a suburb and former village in the unitary authority of Reading, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, within the royal county of Berkshire, on the opposite bank from the rest of Reading...

, with views as far as the Madjeski Stadium wind turbine.

Education

There are two primary schools, Emmer Green Primary School and The Hill Primary which is situated between Emmer Green and Caversham, and the Comprehensive
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...

 Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre which was rated as Outstanding by OFSTED
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....

 in 2010.

Chalk mining

There is at least one disused Chalk mine in Emmer Green, referred to as Emmer Green (Hanover) Chalk Mine
Emmer Green (Hanover) Chalk Mine
The Emmer Green Chalk Mine is an extensive abandoned subterranean chalk mine in Emmer Green, Reading, Berkshire, located just north of the junction of Peppard Road & Kiln Lane . The mine is so named because the land is now owned by the Hanover Housing Association who have a development adjacent at...

, with the principal access located at the junction of Peppard Road & Kiln Lane (OS Grid Ref: SU722769). Other, undiscovered, abandoned mines may exist in the area as few records were kept of mine locations.

Transport

It is served by two principal bus routes with 3 different numbers. The circular 23/24 route which goes through Caversham
Caversham, Berkshire
Caversham is a suburb and former village in the unitary authority of Reading, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, within the royal county of Berkshire, on the opposite bank from the rest of Reading...

 to Central Reading and beyond to Coley
Coley, Berkshire
Coley is an inner-town district near the centre of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire.The district has no formal boundaries, but the historically the name referred to the area roughly bounded by Castle Street, Castle Hill and the Bath Road to the north, Berkeley Avenue to the...

, and the Vitality 2 route which runs from Mortimer Station to Peppard Common in South Oxfordshire
South Oxfordshire
South Oxfordshire is a local government district in Oxfordshire, England. Its council is based in Crowmarsh Gifford, just outside Wallingford....

. These routes are run by Reading Buses.

Religion

There are two churches in Emmer Green. St. Barnabas, a Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...

church, and the Chapel On The Hill. The present St Barnabas building was consecrated on 29 June 1929 and the previous nineteenth century church is still in use as a Village Hall.

Sport

Caversham AFC play football at the recreation ground on weekends depending on the season. Reading Golf Club is on Kidmore End Road and there is a Lawn Tennis Association Tennis Club in Clayfield Copse. Abbey Rugby Football Club is on the Peppard Road to the north of Emmer Green.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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