Langley, Slough
Encyclopedia
Langley is a large village
in the unitary authority of Slough
, Berkshire
in South East England
. It is situated 2 miles (3 km) east of central Slough, and 20 miles (32 km) west of London. Langley was transferred from Buckinghamshire to Berkshire in 1974.
words: Lang (meaning Long) and Leah (meaning wood or clearing). Historically, Langley was made up of a number of clearings
, known as: George Green, Horsemoor Green, Middle Green, Sawyers Green and Shreding Green. These became the sites of housing, which merged into one large village centred on the church in St Mary's Road. The former clearings are remembered in the names of streets or smaller green fields.
The appended Marish or Maries commemorates Christiana de Marecis, who held the manor for a short time in the reign of Edward I
.
The parish church of St Mary the Virgin is in the parish of Langley Marish in the diocese of Oxford
. The church is a Grade I listed building and houses the Kedermister Library
, given by Sir John Kedermister (or Kederminster), who also endowed the surviving almshouses of 1617 in the village. Other surviving almshouses include the Seymour Almshouses (1679–1688), given by Sir Edward Seymour who was a Speaker
of the House of Commons
, and those founded in 1839 by William Wild in Horsemoor Green.
Sir John Kedermister's house, Langley Park (bought by Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough
) was demolished and rebuilt to designs by Stiff Leadbetter
(1756), and completed in the year of his death, 1758.
Langley Hall (formerly Langley Place), was first mentioned in records in the 15th century and at that time it was owned by Sir John Hubert. He inherited the house from his father of the same name. The family name is Norman and it is possible that the family came over after the Norman Conquest.[speculation]
Sir John Hubert[The same one or a descendant?] was a royalist and it is recorded in a House of Lords document that he paid a fine during the Reformation in order to save it from being taken into state ownership.
The wall surrounding the house is dated 1666.
The Hall once served as the Actor's Orphanage
, and was used by RAF Bomber Command
during World War II, then by the Road Research Laboratory
, Langley College and East Berkshire College
.
Langley Hall was purchased by the government in June 2011 to become one of the country's first Free Schools
. Langley Hall Primary Academy opened in September 2011 for children aged 4 to 11. The school was refurbished to educate 364 local children and its motto is Ad Vitam Paramus which means ' We are Preparing for Life'. The school was officially opened on 10 November 2011 by Sir Christopher Ball and the school's founders were Mrs Jane Sculpher and Mrs Sally Eaton.
The Langley Academy, a secondary school opened in 2008, was designed by architects Foster and Partners
, led by the renowned Norman Foster
.
bought Parlaunt Farm at Langley in 1938 and built a major factory and airfield there. Many aircraft were manufactured there and on the Slough Trading Estate during World War II, including the Hawker Hurricane
, Tempest
and Sea Fury
. The final Hurricane built (a MkIIC serialled PZ865, which still flies today with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
) was completed here on 15 September 1944 and named 'Last of The Many' in a special ceremony.
The Hawker Tornado
(1940), Typhoon
(1940), Tempest
(1942), Fury
(1944), Sea Fury
(1945), and the General Aircraft Hamilcar
X tank-carrying glider (1945) all made their first flights from Langley. Postwar, the aerodrome was used by Airwork Ltd and British South American Airways
for aircraft maintenance work.
The Hawker factory closed in 1958. Production and staff were transferred to Dunsfold Aerodrome
and Kingston-on-Thames (now Kingston upon Thames
) in Surrey. Little of the factory or airfield remain today. The area's aviation past is remembered in street-names such as Spitfire Close and Hurricane Way.
opened a commercial vehicle component factory at Langley Airfield in 1949, and then bought the entire ex-Hawker site in 1959. The former aircraft factory was re-used for commercial vehicle manufacture and the Ford Transit
was built here until production was transferred to Swaythling
, Southampton
, and later the Ford Cargo. The Langley factory became part of Iveco
in 1986 but finally closed in September 1997. Demolished a year later by Gregory Demolition, the redeveloped site is now the site of housing, offices and warehousing (including Royal Mail
's International Mail Centre, which services nearby Heathrow Airport
).
The Cable Corporation, based at Langley, was the first cable company in the world to offer voice, video and data services to business and residential users.
The first volume of writer Charles Tyrie's autobiography is titled The Langley Boy; Tyrie grew up in Langley in the 1940s and 1950s. ISBN 1425964036 / ISBN 978-1425964030
, which includes a Brunel
period building, is on the Great Western Main Line
to London Paddington. The train operator for this route is First Great Western
; there is generally a half-hourly service in each direction.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the unitary authority of Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
, 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...
in South East England
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
. It is situated 2 miles (3 km) east of central Slough, and 20 miles (32 km) west of London. Langley was transferred from Buckinghamshire to Berkshire in 1974.
Etymology
The place-name Langley derives from two Middle EnglishMiddle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
words: Lang (meaning Long) and Leah (meaning wood or clearing). Historically, Langley was made up of a number of clearings
Glade (geography)
A glade or clearing is an open area within a woodland. Glades are often grassy meadows under the canopy of deciduous trees such as red alder or quaking aspen in western North America. They also represent openings in forests where local conditions such as avalanches, poor soils, or fire damage have...
, known as: George Green, Horsemoor Green, Middle Green, Sawyers Green and Shreding Green. These became the sites of housing, which merged into one large village centred on the church in St Mary's Road. The former clearings are remembered in the names of streets or smaller green fields.
The appended Marish or Maries commemorates Christiana de Marecis, who held the manor for a short time in the reign of 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...
.
Notable buildings
-
-
- Also, much of the detail about the new school could usefully be incorporated into a new article. There is a link to a draft article which has already been started. (November 2011)
-
The parish church of St Mary the Virgin is in the parish of Langley Marish in the diocese of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. The church is a Grade I listed building and houses the Kedermister Library
Kedermister Library
The Kedermister Library, at Langley near Slough in the English county of Berkshire , is a rare surviving example of an early 17th century parish library, preserved in situ in the decorated cupboards designed for it in 1620 in the parish church of St Mary the Virgin.Founded around 1613 by Sir John...
, given by Sir John Kedermister (or Kederminster), who also endowed the surviving almshouses of 1617 in the village. Other surviving almshouses include the Seymour Almshouses (1679–1688), given by Sir Edward Seymour who was a Speaker
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
of the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
, and those founded in 1839 by William Wild in Horsemoor Green.
Sir John Kedermister's house, Langley Park (bought by Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough
Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough
Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough KG, PC , known as The Earl of Sunderland between 1729 and 1733, was a British soldier and politician. He briefly served as Lord Privy Seal in 1755...
) was demolished and rebuilt to designs by Stiff Leadbetter
Stiff Leadbetter
Stiff Leadbetter was a British architect and builder, one of the most successful architect–builders of the 1750s and 1760s, working for many leading aristocratic families.- Career :...
(1756), and completed in the year of his death, 1758.
Langley Hall (formerly Langley Place), was first mentioned in records in the 15th century and at that time it was owned by Sir John Hubert. He inherited the house from his father of the same name. The family name is Norman and it is possible that the family came over after the Norman Conquest.[speculation]
Sir John Hubert[The same one or a descendant?] was a royalist and it is recorded in a House of Lords document that he paid a fine during the Reformation in order to save it from being taken into state ownership.
The wall surrounding the house is dated 1666.
The Hall once served as the Actor's Orphanage
Actors Orphanage
The Actors Orphanage was started in 1896 by Kittie Carson at Croydon and was established as The Actors Orphanage Fund in 1912.In 1915 the Orphanage moved to Langley Hall at Langley . The orphanage was both a home and a school to approximately 60 children...
, and was used by RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
during World War II, then by the Road Research Laboratory
Transport Research Laboratory
TRL is a British transport consultancy and research organisation based at Wokingham Berkshire with approximately 500 staff. TRL is owned by the Transport Research Foundation , which is overseen by 80 sector members from the transport industry. TRL also own small UK regional offices situated in...
, Langley College and East Berkshire College
East Berkshire College
East Berkshire College is a further education college located in Berkshire, England, with campuses in Langley and Windsor. In 2007/8, the college had 11,078 students enrolled, most part time.-External links:*...
.
Langley Hall was purchased by the government in June 2011 to become one of the country's first Free Schools
Free school (England)
A Free school is a school in England funded by the taxpayer, non-selective and free to attend but not controlled by local authorities. The concept of free schools is based upon a similar model found in Sweden as well as US charter schools....
. Langley Hall Primary Academy opened in September 2011 for children aged 4 to 11. The school was refurbished to educate 364 local children and its motto is Ad Vitam Paramus which means ' We are Preparing for Life'. The school was officially opened on 10 November 2011 by Sir Christopher Ball and the school's founders were Mrs Jane Sculpher and Mrs Sally Eaton.
The Langley Academy, a secondary school opened in 2008, was designed by architects Foster and Partners
Foster and Partners
Foster + Partners is an architectural firm based in London. The practice is led by its founder and Chairman, Norman Foster, and has constructed many high-profile glass-and-steel buildings....
, led by the renowned Norman Foster
Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank
Norman Robert Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank, OM is a British architect whose company maintains an international design practice, Foster + Partners....
.
Langley Airfield
The Hawker Aircraft CompanyHawker Aircraft
Hawker Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer responsible for some of the most famous products in British aviation history.-History:...
bought Parlaunt Farm at Langley in 1938 and built a major factory and airfield there. Many aircraft were manufactured there and on the Slough Trading Estate during World War II, including the Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
, Tempest
Hawker Tempest
The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the war....
and Sea Fury
Hawker Sea Fury
The Hawker Sea Fury was a British fighter aircraft developed for the Royal Navy by Hawker during the Second World War. The last propeller-driven fighter to serve with the Royal Navy, it was also one of the fastest production single piston-engined aircraft ever built.-Origins:The Hawker Fury was an...
. The final Hurricane built (a MkIIC serialled PZ865, which still flies today with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is a Royal Air Force flight which provides an aerial display group comprising an Avro Lancaster, a Supermarine Spitfire and a Hawker Hurricane...
) was completed here on 15 September 1944 and named 'Last of The Many' in a special ceremony.
The Hawker Tornado
Hawker Tornado
-See also:-Bibliography:* Darling, Kev. Hawker Typhoon, Tempest and Sea Fury. Ramsgate, Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK: The Crowood Press Ltd., 2003. ISBN 1-86126-620-0....
(1940), Typhoon
Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied...
(1940), Tempest
Hawker Tempest
The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the war....
(1942), Fury
Hawker Fury
The Hawker Fury was a British biplane fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force in the 1930s. It was originally named the Hornet and was the counterpart to the Hawker Hart light bomber.-Design and development:...
(1944), Sea Fury
Hawker Sea Fury
The Hawker Sea Fury was a British fighter aircraft developed for the Royal Navy by Hawker during the Second World War. The last propeller-driven fighter to serve with the Royal Navy, it was also one of the fastest production single piston-engined aircraft ever built.-Origins:The Hawker Fury was an...
(1945), and the General Aircraft Hamilcar
General Aircraft Hamilcar
The General Aircraft Limited GAL. 49 Hamilcar or Hamilcar Mark I was a large British military glider produced during the Second World War, which was designed to carry heavy cargo, such as the Tetrarch or M22 Locust light tank...
X tank-carrying glider (1945) all made their first flights from Langley. Postwar, the aerodrome was used by Airwork Ltd and British South American Airways
British South American Airways
British South American Airways or British South American Airways Corporation was a state-run airline in Britain in the 1940s. It was originally called British Latin American Air Lines Ltd....
for aircraft maintenance work.
The Hawker factory closed in 1958. Production and staff were transferred to Dunsfold Aerodrome
Dunsfold Aerodrome
Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, England, near the village of Cranleigh, was built by the Canadian Army and civilian contractors as a Class A Bomber Airfield for Army Co-operation Command...
and Kingston-on-Thames (now Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
) in Surrey. Little of the factory or airfield remain today. The area's aviation past is remembered in street-names such as Spitfire Close and Hurricane Way.
Ford
The Ford Motor CompanyFord of Britain
Ford of Britain is a British wholly owned subsidiary of Ford of Europe, a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company. Its business started in 1909 and has its registered office in Brentwood, Essex...
opened a commercial vehicle component factory at Langley Airfield in 1949, and then bought the entire ex-Hawker site in 1959. The former aircraft factory was re-used for commercial vehicle manufacture and the Ford Transit
Ford Transit
The Ford Transit is a range of panel vans, minibuses, and pickup trucks, produced by the Ford Motor Company in Europe.The Transit has been the best-selling light commercial vehicle in Europe for 40 years, and in some countries the term "Transit" has passed into common usage as a generic term...
was built here until production was transferred to Swaythling
Swaythling
Swaythling was once a village but over the years it has gradually become a suburb and electoral ward of Southampton in Hampshire, England. The ward has a population of 13,394....
, Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, and later the Ford Cargo. The Langley factory became part of Iveco
Iveco
Iveco, an acronym for Industrial Vehicle Corporation, originally an alliance of European commercial vehicle manufacturers such as Fiat , Unic and Magirus. Iveco is now an Italian truck, bus, and diesel engine manufacturer, based in Turin...
in 1986 but finally closed in September 1997. Demolished a year later by Gregory Demolition, the redeveloped site is now the site of housing, offices and warehousing (including Royal Mail
Royal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
's International Mail Centre, which services nearby Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
).
Miscellaneous
Langley Carnival, a day of fun and entertainment, is held annually on the second Saturday in July at the Langley Park Memorial Recreation Ground.The Cable Corporation, based at Langley, was the first cable company in the world to offer voice, video and data services to business and residential users.
The first volume of writer Charles Tyrie's autobiography is titled The Langley Boy; Tyrie grew up in Langley in the 1940s and 1950s. ISBN 1425964036 / ISBN 978-1425964030
Transport
Langley railway stationLangley railway station
Langley railway station is a railway station in Langley, a suburb of Slough, Berkshire, England.The station is served by local services operated by First Great Western west of towards...
, which includes a Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
period building, is on the Great Western Main Line
Great Western Main Line
The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
to London Paddington. The train operator for this route is First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
; there is generally a half-hourly service in each direction.
Notable people
- Poet John MiltonJohn MiltonJohn Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
(1608–1674) is said to have lived for a time near Kedermister LibraryKedermister LibraryThe Kedermister Library, at Langley near Slough in the English county of Berkshire , is a rare surviving example of an early 17th century parish library, preserved in situ in the decorated cupboards designed for it in 1620 in the parish church of St Mary the Virgin.Founded around 1613 by Sir John...
in Langley[Questioned - see talk page.]
- World War I war artistWar artistA war artist depicts some aspect of war through art; this might be a pictorial record or it might commemorate how "war shapes lives." War artists have explored a visual and sensory dimension of war which is often absent in written histories or other accounts of warfare.- Definition and context:A...
Paul NashPaul Nash (artist)Paul Nash was a British landscape painter, surrealist and war artist, as well as a book-illustrator, writer and designer of applied art. He was the older brother of the artist John Nash.-Early life:...
(1889–1946) is buried in the churchyard of St. Mary's Church, Langley
- Writer John PudneyJohn PudneyJohn Sleigh Pudney was a British journalist and writer. He was known for short stories, poetry, non-fiction and children's fiction .-Education:...
(1909–1977) - who penned one of the best-known poems of World War II, For Johnny - was born in Langley
- Nathaniel VincentNathaniel VincentNathaniel Vincent was English a nonconformist minister, ejected in 1662 and several times imprisoned.-Life:He was probably born in Cornwall about 1639, son of John Vincent , who was nominated by the committee of the Westminster Assembly to the rectory of Sedgefield, Durham...
(1639?-1697), nonconformist minister and writer, lived in Langley after the Restoration (he was ejected in 1662)
External sources
- Mason, Francis K. (1991) Hawker Aircraft Since 1920 (3rd revised edition). London, UK: Putnam, 1991. ISBN 0-85177-839-9.
- Pudney, John (1955) Six Great Aviators – A V Roe; Alcock & Brown; Lindbergh; Kingsford-Smith; Saint-Exupery; Neville Duke (Hamish Hamilton)
- Shaw, Stuart (2000) The History of Langley Aircraft Factory and Airfield in 'Airfield Review', July 2000, pp. 17–19.