Tilehurst

Coordinates: 51°27′28″N 1°02′26″W / 51.4579°N 1.0406°W / 51.4579; -1.0406
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Tilehurst
Tilehurst (part unparished)
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townREADING
Postcode districtRG30, RG31
Dialling code0118
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
51°27′28″N 1°02′26″W / 51.4579°N 1.0406°W / 51.4579; -1.0406

Tilehurst /ˈtlhɜːrst/ is a suburb of the town of Reading in the county of Berkshire, England. It lies to the west of the centre of Reading; it extends from the River Thames in the north to the A4 road in the south.

The suburb is partly within the boundaries of the

Norcot
wards.

History

Tilehurst was first recorded in 1291, when it was listed as a

Theale as well as the manors of Tilehurst, Kentwood, Pincents and Beansheaf.[1] In 1545, Henry VIII granted the manor of Tilehurst to Francis Englefield, who held it until his attainder (and forfeiture of the manor) in 1586.[1] The following year, Elizabeth I gave the manor to Henry Forster of Aldermaston and George Fitton. Forster and Fitton possessed the manor until the turn of the century, when Elizabeth sold it to Henry Best and Francis Jackson.[1]

Over the space of five years, the manor passed from Best and Jackson to the son of Sir Thomas Crompton, then on to Dutch merchant Peter Vanlore.[1] Vanlore built a manor house on the estate—Calcot Park. Throughout the 17th century the manor passed through the Vanlore family to the Dickenson family, before being purchased in 1687 by the Wilder family of Nunhide (builders of Wilder's Folly) for £1,075.[1] Page and Ditchfield write that in the early 18th century the manor was also owned by the family of John Kendrick, albeit for a short period.[1]

The manor subsequently passed to Benjamin Child, who married Mary Kendrick,[4] heir of the Kendrick family.[1] After Kendrick's death, Childs sold the manor to descendants of John Blagrave in 1759.[1] The Blagrave family built the present-day Calcot House, which—according to one story—was made necessary by Child's eviction.[5] After Child sold the estate to the Blagraves, he was reluctant to leave the house.[5] The Blagraves were forced to remove the building's roof to "flush" him out of the building, thereby requiring a new building to replace the uninhabitable original house.[5][6] The manor was retained by the Blagrave family until the 1920s, after which it served as the clubhouse for the estate's golf course and was later converted into apartments.

The manor of Kentwood was owned by Peter Vanlore, before passing through the Kentwood family (taking their name from the manor itself), the Swafield family, the Yate family, the Fettiplace family and the Dunch family.[1] In 1719, the manor was divided between heirs.[1] The manor of Pincents was named after the local Pincent family. Originally from Sulhamstead, the family owned the manor until the end of the 15th century.[1] After this, it was owned by the Sambourne family before they sold it to the Windsor family. In 1598, the manor was sold to the Blagrave family; its succession through the family is identical to that of Calcot Park.[1] In the 1920s, the manor was sold off and later became a wedding and conference venue. The manor of Beansheaf took its name from a 13th-century Tilehurst family. In 1316, John Beansheaf granted some of the manor's land to John Stonor.[1] While it is not recorded how much was granted, it is likely that Stonor inherited the entire estate as the Beansheaf name did not appear in subsequent records.[1]

In 1390, Ralf Stonor gave the

Campden and John Frank. Frank later returned his share of the manor to Ralf Stonor, after which the manor was retained by the Stonor family until the end of the 15th century. The manor left the Stonor family when John Stonor died with no heirs. It passed through his sister, Anne, to her husband—Adrian Fortescue.[1] Some of the manor was later reinherited by the Stonors, though the majority was retained by the Fortescues until passing through marriage to the Wentworth family.[1] In 1562 the manor was bought by John Bolney and Ambrose Dormer, after which it was passed into the family of Tanfield Vachell.[1] The manor was inherited by the Blagrave family some time after 1600.[1]

Throughout the 19th century, a number of changes came to Tilehurst. A

railway station opened in 1882.[7] By 1887, the boundaries of Reading included parts of Tilehurst.[9] In 1889 a large part of the parish was transferred to Reading, and further areas were transferred to the borough of Reading in 1911.[8] In the 1920s and 30s, many new houses were built in Tilehurst, particularly semi-detached
residences.

This gave the need for improved utilities; electricity arrived in the 1920s (replacing the gas that fuelled the area from 1906) and Tilehurst Water Tower was built in 1932.[7] After World War II, Tilehurst—like many other settlements—was in need of new housing; from 1950, many houses and estates were built in the area.[7] In the mid-1960s, a prominent Victorian character property, Westwood House with some five acres of open grounds was demolished as part of the ever pressing need for new housing. This site was positioned between Westwood Road and Pierce's Hill and had served well as a venue for occasional local social events.

Toponymy

The name Tilehurst comes from the Old English "tigel" meaning "tile" and "hurst" meaning "wooded hill".[10][11][12] Alternative spellings have included Tygelhurst (13th century), Tyghelhurst (14th century), and Tylehurst (16th century). The present spelling became commonplace in the 18th century.[7]

Governance

Tilehurst is divided between the

St Michael.[16]

Geography

The River Thames near to Tilehurst. Appletree Eyot can be seen in the distance

Tilehurst is situated on a hill (approximately 100 metres (330 ft)

AMSL), 3 miles (4.8 km) to the west of Reading.[17] The land is steep to the west and south of the village; the gradient is smoother north (towards the River Thames) and east (descending towards Reading).[17]

Much of Tilehurst was enclosed

Tilehurst is centred around Tilehurst Triangle (known locally as "the village"), a pedestrianised area providing shopping, leisure and educational facilities.

railway station in the north, Norcot in the east, Churchend around St Michael's parish church in the south, and Little Heath in the west. Tilehurst has a Site of Special Scientific Interest just to the west of the village, called Sulham and Tidmarsh Woods and Meadows.[18] Tilehurst has four local nature reserves called Blundells Copse, Lousehill Copse, McIlroy Park & Round Copse.[19][20]

Demography

For

Economy

Until the late 19th century, the majority of working men in Tilehurst were employed in farming or similar agricultural work.

Kentwood—both to the east of the settlement—with clay pits being dug on Norcot Hill in an area now known as The Potteries.[7]

An overhead cable was used to transport the clay-filled buckets between the pits and the

Kentwood to Grovelands works approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) away.[24] The cable was also included on the 1940s Ordnance Survey New Popular Edition maps, labelled as an "aerial ropeway".[25] An 1883 Ordnance Survey map of Berkshire shows a number of kilns in the Grovelands area (on the present-day Colliers Way estate)[26] and one in Norcot near the present-day Lawrence Road.[27] The latter was more specifically named in the 1899 Pre-WWII 1:2,500 scale Berkshire map as "Norcot Kiln, Brick and Tile Works". By the 1920s, Tilehurst Potteries had been formally established at Kew Kiln on Kentwood Hill.[28][29] By the 1960s, clay business had waned and the pits were closed in 1967.[7][23]

Architecture

Late 20th-century housing estate

The architecture of Tilehurst ranges from 19th century

thatched cottages[7] to late 20th-century housing estates. Victorian and Edwardian terraces[30] (built using bricks from the Tilehurst kilns) are common in the area; streets such as Blundells Road and Norcot Road display this type of architecture.[31][32]

As the area expanded, a huge number of semi-detached dwellings were built in the mid-20th century,

St Michael's Road (1930s)[33] and on the Berkshire Drive estate (1950s).[34]

The Tilehurst Water Tower was built in the 1930s, to provide water at pressure to the growing village population

Examples of unique architecture in Tilehurst include two water towers:

Water Tower is an 1890s brick building with tiered blind arcading.[35]

The Mansion House in Prospect Park (19th century) is a regency mansion built in Portland stone.[36] The north and south faces feature Doric and Ionic order porticos respectively.[36]

Culture

Tilehurst has a

Square Dance Club draws dancers from Reading and beyond and has been operating since 1989.[41]

Transport

Tilehurst station

Reading to Basingstoke Line are made by changing at Reading.[42]

Reading Buses services 15, 15a, 16, 17 and 33 serve Tilehurst,[43] connecting the village to Reading, Purley and Theale.[44]

Tilehurst is bordered by two major roads: to the north by the A329 (connecting the village to Reading and Pangbourne) and to the south by the A4 (connecting the village to Reading and Theale).[17] Non-arterial roads in Tilehurst saw a great improvement in the 1940s with the introduction of trolleybuses in Reading.[45]

Education

Tilehurst is served by two

Theale Green Community School also cover parts of Tilehurst.[48]

Tilehurst is served by Brookfields School, a

special school catering for students with moderate, severe or profound and multiple learning disabilities.[49]

St Paul's Catholic Primary School, Springfield Primary School, Meadow Park Academy, Westwood Farm Infant School and Westwood Farm Junior School.[50]

Places of worship

The Church of St Michael

Tilehurst has a number of religious buildings covering numerous denominations:

Tilehurst does not have any synagogues, mosques or gurdwaras; the nearest are in West Reading,[58] central Reading[59] and East Reading respectively.[60]

Sport

Tilehurst has been represented in numerous sports for over a century:

Notable residents

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u P.H. Ditchfield; William Page, eds. (1923). "Parishes: Tilehurst". A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 3. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  2. ^ Ford, David Nash. "The Berkshire Lady". Royal Berkshire History. Nash Ford Publishing. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  3. ^ Blagrave, J R (1834). The Manor of Tylehurst. Southcote. p. 10.
  4. ^ Kendrick's forename is also documented as Frances,[2] also the name of Child and Kendrick's daughter[3]
  5. ^ a b c Ford, David Nash. "Calcot Park". Royal Berkshire History. Nash Ford Publishing. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  6. ^ Blagrave, J R (1834). The Manor of Tylehurst. Southcote. p. 11.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Tilehurst". Berkshire Family History Society. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  8. ^ a b Vision of Britain website
  9. .
  10. ^ a b Blagrave, J R (1834). The Manor of Tylehurst. Southcote. p. 5.
  11. ^ Bosworth, Joseph (1838). A Dictionary of the Anglo-Saxon Language. London: Longman. p. 387.
  12. .
  13. ^ "Area: Tilehurst (CP)". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  14. ^ "Area: Tilehurst (Ward)". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  15. ^ "Ward Boundaries effective from May 2003" (PDF). West Berkshire Council. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  16. ^ "Parish Register Guide: T". Berkshire Record Office. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  17. ^ a b c d e OS Explorer Map (Reading), Ordnance Survey, 2012
  18. ^ Magic Map Application
  19. ^ "ASPECTS OF SUBURBAN LANDSCAPES". Historic England. Archived from the original on 10 April 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  20. ^ "Magic Map Application". Magic.defra.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  21. ^ "Headcounts (Tilehurst ward)". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  22. ^ "Headcounts (Tilehurst CP)". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  23. ^ a b "Points of Interest – McIlroy Park". Woodland Walks in Tilehurst. Archived from the original on 9 April 2001. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  24. ^ Pre-WWII – BERKSHIRE 1932–1936 (1:2,500)
  25. ^ OS NPO (Eng/Wales) 1945–1955 (1:50,000)
  26. ^ "England – Berkshire: 037". Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 – Epoch 1 (1883). British History Online. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  27. ^ "England – Berkshire: 037". Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 – Epoch 1 (1883). British History Online. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  28. ^ Map of Reading, Geographia Ltd, 1977
  29. ^ "Correspondence with Tilehurst Potteries (1922) Ltd, Kew Kiln, Tilehurst". National Archives. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  30. ^ .
  31. .
  32. .
  33. ^ .
  34. .
  35. ^ .
  36. ^ a b "Prospect House, Prospect Park, Reading". British Listed Buildings. English Heritage. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  37. ^ a b "TILEHURST HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION" (PDF). TILEHURST HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  38. ^ "Gardeners' successes at Tilehurst village show". Surrey Advertiser. 11 August 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  39. ^ "History of the Group". Triangle Players. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  40. ^ "Allenova School of Dancing". Allenova School of Dancing. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  41. ^ "Tilehurst Square Dance Club". Tilehurst Square Dance Club. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  42. ^ "Train Times". Great Western Railway. 21 May 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  43. ^ "Network Map" (PDF). Reading Transport. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  44. ^ "Tilehurst Bus Services". Bus Times. 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  45. .
  46. ^ "Establishment: Denefield School". Department for Education. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  47. ^ "Establishment: Little Heath School". Department for Education. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  48. ^ "Parent's Guide to Admissions to Secondary Schools in West Berkshire 2009/10". West Berkshire Council. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  49. ^ "Brookfields School – a little about us". Brookfields School. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  50. ^ "Map". Department for Education. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  51. ^ a b Ford, David Nash. "Tilehurst St. Michael's Church". Royal Berkshire History. Nash Ford Publishing. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  52. ^ Blagrave, J R (1834). The Manor of Tylehurst. Southcote. p. 7.
  53. ^ "A Little History". St Catherine of Siena. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  54. ^ "Tilehurst Methodist Church". Tilehurst Methodist Church. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  55. ^ "A Brief History of St Joseph's". St Joseph's Tilehurst. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  56. ^ "Our Church". URC Group Reading. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  57. ^ a b "Reading Churches". X N Media. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  58. ^ "Synagogue". Reading Hebrew Congregation. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  59. ^ "BAGR Profile". Bangladesh Association Greater Reading. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  60. ^ "Reading Sikh community plans new Gurdwara". BBC Berkshire. 9 August 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  61. ^ Bishop, Martin (2007). Bats, Balls and Biscuits. Purley on Thames CC.
  62. ^ a b c d e "History". Theale and Tilehurst CC. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  63. .
  64. ^ "Our History". Barton Rovers. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  65. ^ "About Us". Tilehurst Panthers. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  66. ^ "Find Us". Barton Rovers. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  67. ^ Macdonald-READ, Neil (1 July 2015). "Women's football teams to play for in Reading". BerkshireLive.
  68. ^ a b "Reading Speedway (Tilehurst)". Defunct Speedway Tracks. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  69. ^ "The rough ( as in quirky facts that are probably true) guide to Reading". Reading Evening Post. 7 November 2003. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  70. ^ Frankel, Hannah. "My best teacher – Kenneth Branagh". Times Educational Supplement. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  71. ^ "Loch Ness Hunt". The Times. London. 22 July 1967. p. 2.
  72. .
  73. ^ getreading (11 June 2009). "Palace date for rower Zac Purchase". BerkshireLive. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  74. ^ Cassell, Paul; Pyle, Mike (23 June 2011). "Ayrton Senna a legend... but not in the garden". Reading Evening Post. Retrieved 31 July 2012.

External links