Sonning Common
Encyclopedia
Sonning Common is a village and civil parish the Chiltern Hills
3.5 miles (5.6 km) west of Henley-on-Thames
in South Oxfordshire
. It is on the B481 road between Reading, Berkshire
to the south and Nettlebed
to the north.
s the village itself did not exist: its present site was merely an area of open land on the route between Reading
– occupied alternately by the Parliamentarians
and Royalists – and Oxford
, which was the King's
headquarters. In 1647 after the end of the first civil war, the King was imprisoned at nearby Caversham House (now the location of BBC Monitoring
in Caversham); however he was allowed out under escort to play bowls
at an inn
(latterly called "The King Charles Head") near Cane End, approximately one mile west of Sonning Common. His route between these places would have brought him close to the present-day village.
The site of the village was called "Sonning Common" from at least the 1640s, long before any fixed settlement existed. The name is literal, referring to its originally being the common grazing land belonging to Sonning Parish.
(Church of England
), Saint Michael
's (Roman Catholic
), and Sonning Common Free Church
.
is a secondary school in the village. It has fewer than 1,000 pupils. It has a drama studio, named after the actor Dan Stevens
, that was opened in 2007. A few pupils living in Sonning Common attend Gillotts School, Henley-on-Thames, although most children are in walking distance of Chiltern Edge.
s: the Bird in Hand, the Butchers Arms and the Hare and Hounds.
It also has a Herb Farm (with Saxon maze), Thames Valley Gymnastics Club and a health centre. Two neighbouring parishes, Kidmore End
and Rotherfield Peppard
, have their war memorial halls on the parish boundaries. Sonning Common also has a duck pond with a duck-house in the middle called "Duckingham Palace", and a Millennium Green
(a large area of open public land), which lies at the southern end of the village between Kennylands Road and Peppard Road.
The main route through the village is Peppard Road (the B481), which runs between Reading
and Nettlebed
. Wood Lane turns off this, and is where most of the village's shops and health centre are. It has an Indian restaurant, a Chinese take-away, fish and chip
shop, sandwich shop, post office, florist, supermarkets, bank, petrol station, dental practice and several other shops. The village hall
is also in the middle of Wood Lane.
The area is surrounded by mainly beech woodland and countryside, which is popular for walks and picnics. Sonning Common is where the Health Walks project was started. It was set up by Dr William Bird, a former GP in the village. It aims to improve people's fitness, both in body and mind, by encouraging them to use their local countryside for walking. Together with Val Lunn, a local fitness instructor, Dr William Bird promoted the project which has now grown into a very successful scheme that has been adopted nationwide, and even internationally.
The village has an amateur dramatic group, The Chiltern Players, that was formed in 1974.
The village has three children's parks, at Baskerville Road, Churchill Crescent and Lea Road, near Sonning Common Primary School.
Chiltern Hills
The Chiltern Hills form a chalk escarpment in South East England. They are known locally as "the Chilterns". A large portion of the hills was designated officially as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1965.-Location:...
3.5 miles (5.6 km) west of Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
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....
. It is on the B481 road between 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....
to the south and Nettlebed
Nettlebed
Nettlebed is a village in England in the Chiltern Hills about northwest of Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire and southeast of Wallingford.-History:Archaeological finds show that the area around Nettlebed has been inhabited since Palaeolithic times....
to the north.
History
During the English Civil WarEnglish Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
s the village itself did not exist: its present site was merely an area of open land on the route between 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....
– occupied alternately by the Parliamentarians
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
and Royalists – and 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...
, which was the King's
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
headquarters. In 1647 after the end of the first civil war, the King was imprisoned at nearby Caversham House (now the location of BBC Monitoring
BBC Monitoring
BBC Monitoring is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation which monitors, and reports on, mass media worldwide. Based at Caversham Park in Caversham, Reading in southern England, it has a number of overseas bureaux including Moscow, Nairobi, Kiev, Baku, Tashkent, Cairo, Tbilisi, Yerevan...
in Caversham); however he was allowed out under escort to play bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
at an inn
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
(latterly called "The King Charles Head") near Cane End, approximately one mile west of Sonning Common. His route between these places would have brought him close to the present-day village.
The site of the village was called "Sonning Common" from at least the 1640s, long before any fixed settlement existed. The name is literal, referring to its originally being the common grazing land belonging to Sonning Parish.
Churches
Churches are Christ the KingChrist the King
Christ the King is a title of Jesus based on several passages of Scripture. It is used by most Christians. The Roman Catholic Church, together with many Protestant denominations, including the Anglican Churches, Presbyterians, Lutherans and Methodists, celebrate the Feast of Christ the King on the...
(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...
), Saint Michael
Michael (archangel)
Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
's (Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
), and Sonning Common Free Church
Free church
The term "free church" refers to a Christian denomination that is intrinsically separated from government . A free church does not define government policy, nor have governments define church policy or theology, nor seeks or receives government endorsement or funding for its general mission...
.
Education
Sonning Common has a primary school. Chiltern Edge SchoolChiltern Edge School
Chiltern Edge School, also known as Chiltern Edge Secondary School is a mixed, comprehensive 11-16 school in Sonning Common, Reading, Berkshire...
is a secondary school in the village. It has fewer than 1,000 pupils. It has a drama studio, named after the actor Dan Stevens
Dan Stevens
Daniel Jonathan Stevens is a British actor.-Education:Stevens was educated at Tonbridge School, an independent school in the market town of Tonbridge in Kent, in South East England, followed by Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he read English...
, that was opened in 2007. A few pupils living in Sonning Common attend Gillotts School, Henley-on-Thames, although most children are in walking distance of Chiltern Edge.
Amenities
Sonning Common has three public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s: the Bird in Hand, the Butchers Arms and the Hare and Hounds.
It also has a Herb Farm (with Saxon maze), Thames Valley Gymnastics Club and a health centre. Two neighbouring parishes, Kidmore End
Kidmore End
Kidmore End is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire about north of Reading, Berkshire.The village has half-timbered cottages, early Georgian houses and a public house, the New Inn....
and Rotherfield Peppard
Rotherfield Peppard
Rotherfield Peppard is a village and civil parish in the Chiltern Hills in South Oxfordshire. It is just over west of Henley-on-Thames, about north of Reading, Berkshire and just over west of the village of Rotherfield Greys.-History:Rotherfield derives from the Old English redrefeld meaning...
, have their war memorial halls on the parish boundaries. Sonning Common also has a duck pond with a duck-house in the middle called "Duckingham Palace", and a Millennium Green
Millennium Green
245 Millennium Greens were created in cities, towns and villages across England to celebrate the turn of the Millennium. Funded in part by the National Lottery via the Countryside Agency, they are permanent areas of green space for the benefit of local communities...
(a large area of open public land), which lies at the southern end of the village between Kennylands Road and Peppard Road.
The main route through the village is Peppard Road (the B481), which runs between 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 Nettlebed
Nettlebed
Nettlebed is a village in England in the Chiltern Hills about northwest of Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire and southeast of Wallingford.-History:Archaeological finds show that the area around Nettlebed has been inhabited since Palaeolithic times....
. Wood Lane turns off this, and is where most of the village's shops and health centre are. It has an Indian restaurant, a Chinese take-away, fish and chip
Fish and chips
Fish and chips is a popular take-away food in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada...
shop, sandwich shop, post office, florist, supermarkets, bank, petrol station, dental practice and several other shops. The village hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
is also in the middle of Wood Lane.
The area is surrounded by mainly beech woodland and countryside, which is popular for walks and picnics. Sonning Common is where the Health Walks project was started. It was set up by Dr William Bird, a former GP in the village. It aims to improve people's fitness, both in body and mind, by encouraging them to use their local countryside for walking. Together with Val Lunn, a local fitness instructor, Dr William Bird promoted the project which has now grown into a very successful scheme that has been adopted nationwide, and even internationally.
The village has an amateur dramatic group, The Chiltern Players, that was formed in 1974.
The village has three children's parks, at Baskerville Road, Churchill Crescent and Lea Road, near Sonning Common Primary School.