BERKSHIRE. 



r.i:i:Ksini!K. 



1040 



dates, from Norman to perpemliculiir. In tho pariah ia a Wealoyan 

 mosting hiiimi .VArirraAam, 5 miles S.W. from Faringdon, given 

 name to a hundred: population of the township 757. Parti of 

 Shrirenham church are of early date, but it baa been much altered. 

 The \VilU and Berks Canal panes through the pariah ; and the Great 

 Western railway has a station here. At Barton in thia parish there 

 are a school for 100 children, and alnuthouses for six poor persona. 

 An ancient crow stands in the centre of the village. In the vicinity 

 are some good mansions. Spetn, 17 miles W.S.W. from Heading: 

 population of the entire pariah 3298. Spcenhnmland, a tithing of 

 this pariah, forms a sort of suburb of Newbury. It is believed to 

 have been a Roman station, Spiiuc, and was one of the principal 

 scenes of action in the second battle of Newbury, fought in October 

 1644 between the troops of Charles I. and those of the Parliament. 

 Speen church in a large plain building of the perpendicular style. 

 Two district churches are in the paruh. There is also a Wesleyan 

 chapel Speenhainland possesses an endowed Free school, and a 

 Parochial school Staaford-in-tke-Vnl,-. in the Vale of White Horse, 

 about 10 miles W.S.W. from Abingdon, population, 1208, has a very 

 interesting church of the early English aud decorated styles. In the 

 chanoel is a brass of a priest dated 1379. There are in the pariah an 

 Independent chapel, a National school, and some parochial charities. 

 That.-haui, on the road from London to Bath, 14 miles W.S.W. from 

 Reading; the pariah, which is the largest in the county except 

 Lambouru, contains 12,259 acres: population, 42U3. The church, 

 which ia of very different dates, has a Norman dogrway. The Wesleyan 

 and Primitive Methodists, Independents, and Baptists have places of 

 worship in the village and in the hamlet of Oreenham ; and there is an 

 endowed Blue-Coat school, founded by Lady Winchcoinb, for educating 

 and clothing 40 boys. The river Keunet, and the Kennet and Avon 

 Canal pass through the pariah. The Hungerford brauch of the 

 Great Western railway has a station at Thatchiun. There are some 

 tanneries; and boat-building is carried on both at Thatchiun and 

 Greenham. Wargrare, on the right bank of the Thames, 7 miles 

 N.K. from Reading, gives name to a hundred : population, 1773. It 

 is a large irregular and somewhat picturesque village. The church, 

 which ia crucifopn, has a Norman doorway, but it is not of much 

 architectural value. It has been recently repaired. Wat Wuuil/t,,:/, 

 on the borders of Hampshire, about 24 miles W.S.W. from Reading : 

 population, 115. The church is a poor brick building erected in the 

 last century. There is a fine manor-house. Yattentlon, about 12 

 mile* W. from Reading : population, 263. The church, which is in 

 the perpendicular style, has a large and handsome east window. There 

 is a Free school. 



Several other villages also require a brief notice here. Aldrrmatton, 

 on the Keunet, 10 miles S. W. from Reading, population, 783, is a place 

 of some trade. Aldermaaton wharf on the Kennet is much used for 

 coal* and timber. There is an extensive brewing and malting estab- 

 lishment Fairs are held on May 6th, July 7th, for horses and cattle, 

 and on October 18th for homes and pedlery. The church ia in Alder- 

 maston park. It has a Norman doorway, but the rest of the bnildini; 

 i* .f the early Kngliah and decorated styles. In it are several good 

 monument*. There U a National 'school. The manor-house ia a 

 remarkably handsome one. AMury, 18 miles S.W. from Abiugdon, 

 and 8 miles W. from Wantage : population, 786. It has a spacious 

 church chit-fly of the decorated style. In it ia preserved some rather 

 - ancient church furniture ; there are also some brasses. The 

 Wealeyans have a chapel here. In this parish is the celebrated crom- 

 lech, known as Wayland Smith's Cave. Other very early antiquities 

 an. likewise hen, as the Sanden Stones, the Ridge Way, to. Bukarn, 

 formerly Bustlesham, or Bysham Montague, on the banks of the 

 Thames, nearly opposite Marlow in Buckinghamshire, and 12 miles 

 N.K. from Reading : population, "<:!. Here was a priory for canons 

 of the order of St. Austin, founded 1338 by William Montacute, earl 

 of Salisbury. There are no remain* of the conventual building 

 except an ancient doorway, now the entrance of the Tudor mansion 

 adjoining. The church U a venerable ivy-clad structure. In it are 

 some rather splendid monuments. Blewbwy is a pretty village 141 

 mile* N.W. from Reading: population, 1140. TI,.- church has been 

 recently restored. The chancel is of the transition Norman period, 

 but other portions of the building are of early English, decorated and 

 perpendicular styles. The Wesley and Primitive Methodists and 

 BaptinU have places of worship. There is an endowed Free school. 

 Tli. place is locally famous for its cherry orchards. The ancient 

 British road Ickleton Street ,or Grimes Dyke, passes through I!lwbury. 

 Bray, which gives name to a hundred, and in the parish of which the 

 twn of Maidenhead partly stands, is 14 miles E. by N. from Heading 

 the population of the entire parish was 3962, of which number 17": 

 belonged to the town of Maidenhead. Bray is celebrated for the 



the 



'.V !: ! 



versatility of principle manifested by one of iU incumbent*, wl 

 the Vicar of Bray has become a proverbial expression for a 

 who can shift his principles with the times. According to Fuller the 

 Vicar of Bray retained his living under Henry VIII., Kdward VI, 

 M*7, and Eliabeth, being first a I'upi.t, then a Protestant, ' 



t, brn a Protestant again. But there appear, to be no founda- 



** "tory, as the name of no vicar stands sufficiently long on 



i to pi-imit of such versatility in practice, whatever 



Uiere may nave been in principle. The church, a Urge building jartly 



early English, partly decorated aud perpendicular, .i- th"i 

 repaired a few years back. There are au endowed Free scho< 

 an hospital for freemen of the <mp.i!iy. In th 



are the remains of Ockholt manor-house of the 15th century. Bray 

 IB within the liberty of Windsor Forest, and form* part of the royal 

 demesne. Chiercly, ].' :,. Al.in.;d..ii ; a huge scattered 



agricultural village: population of the parish lio-j'.i. of the church 

 the chancel and lower part of the tower are early KM. 

 mainder ia mostly decorated. The chapels of Oare and Wintcrbourne 

 ore both in part of early English date and style. There are chapelt 

 for Wesleyau and Primitive Methodists and Baptist*. The Quakers 

 had formerly a meeting-house at Oorc, but they n\v only retain thu 

 burial-ground. There are several parochial charities and a National 

 school. C'urnixr, or Camitor, ia about 4 milea N.W. |Y ,m Abiugdon : 

 population of the parish 1048. Tin- in ibbots 



of Abingdon, who had a house here. After . this 



house was granted to the hut abbot for life, and on his death came 

 into possession of Anthony Korstor, whose epitaph in Cumnor church 

 speaks highly of him as being amiable aud accomplished. I 

 Ashmole'a ' Antiquities of Berkshire ' (vol. i. p. 1 49, seq.), he ia repp 

 aented aa one of the partiea to the supposed rnunh-r of thu unhappy 

 Countess of who was reported to have been secret; 



spatched while stayim; at Cumnor by order of h.-r lninl.and, who was 

 then aspiring to the hand of Queen Elizabeth. 

 now remains. The materials were used in rebuilding Wythnm > 

 three or four miles distant. Cuuiuor church is a handsome building 

 of mixed styles, from transition Norman to decorated. Didcot, 64 

 miles S. by E. from Abingdon : population, 241. The church is 

 of the decorated style. In it are some objects of archawlogical 

 interest; among others ia an effigy of a mitred abbot of the 13th 

 century. There are places of worship belonging to Wesleyan ''. 

 dista and Baptists. The Great Western railway has a pn> 

 station at Didcot, where the Oxford branch joins the main lint-. 'I h.- 

 place has increased in trade and population since the establishment of 

 thia station. Hamjxtead Xorrit, 10 mile* \V. from Readin 

 tion, 1325. The church has two Norman doorways, but the liody of 

 the building is chiefly early English. There is a district church in 

 the huiulct of Hermitage. There are two Methodist chap. U in tin- 

 parish ; also two Free schools. Hurley, 12 miles N.E. from Reading : 

 population, 1269. A Benedictine priory anciently existed at II 

 It was suppressed with the other religious houses by Henry VIII. 

 The present pariah church was originally the chapel of the priory. 

 It is partly of Norman date, but there are insertions of the ]< 

 dicular style. Some other vestiges of the priory are also remaining. 

 J'anybourn, 6 miles W. by N. from Reading : population, 800. The 

 church contains Home showy monuments. There are an Independent 

 chapel, a Free school, aud some parochial charities, hi the neighbour- 

 hood are several handsome mansions. l i/tiaji>ltl, 4 miles 8. from 

 Heading, is a large scattered village, with a population of 11. "i7. Tin- 

 church is mingled decorated and Norman, with a brick tower. 

 are a Wealoyan chapel and a Free school. Tine,- Mile Cross, a hamlet 

 of this parish, is the scene of Miss Mitford's ' Our Village 

 3 miles K..VK. from Reading: the population of tho entire parish, 

 part of which is in Oxfordshire, was 2695 ; that of the liberty of 

 Sonuing-town was 483. The church is a large picturesque ivy-c 

 pile, chiefly of tho decorated period. In it are several brasses and 

 some other monuments of interest Two chapeUvof-ease have been 

 recently erected in the parish. Holme Park and several other excellent 

 mauni JHR are in the vicinity. Stcvcnton, 4 miles S. from Abiugdon : 

 population, 978. Tho Great Western railway has a first-class station 

 at Steventon. The church, of mixed styles, with a preponderance of 

 the decorated, has some interesting architeitur.il details. There is a 

 National school Strealty, 16 miles \\.N.\V. fi,,in Heading, popula- 

 tion 684, is a very pretty secluded village by the side of the Thames. 

 Icknield Street crossed the Thames by a ford at Streatly. A double 

 bridge of wood is now carried over the river here. Tie 

 small, and chiefly of the transition Norman style. There is .-. 

 school in the village. - v -4 miles S. from Abin:,-don : 



population, 1600. The church is ct 



chancel walls are Norman, aud some of the windows an- perpendicular. 

 It was in part repaired ii - ar the church are two curious old 



houses. At Appleford, a hamlet of Sutton ' I a final! church. 



Here was formerly a cell belonging to the abbey of Abingd'ni Th> i 

 i an Endowed nchool at Appleford, also a Free school at Sutton 

 Courtney. In 1818 an al nuthouse for nix poor widows was found, d 

 and endowed by F. Klderficld, Ka>[. The Great Western railway has 

 a station at Appleford. TUchuni, au extensive parinh, 3 miles W. 



from Reading: popiiluti 'Jlss. Tilehurst church has some 



monuments. The church of Thcale, a hamlet of Tilehurst, was l.nl-lt 

 ind i ii. I'. weil about 1833 by the late Mrs. Shepherd and her brother, 

 the late Dr. H.mili. pri -ident of Magdalen College, Oxford. It is a 

 handsome and highly-finished stone edifice. Mrs. Shepherd also 

 erected and < Krce school. There are chapels for Inde- 



pendents and Primitive Methodists. Vffingtm, 12 miles S.W. from 

 ion : population, 117u. The church, a spacious and handsome 

 rm structure of the early English style, formerly belonged to 

 the abbey of Abingdon. There is a Baptist chapel. The endow, d 

 Free school in united with tho National school. Tho Berks and Wilts 



