Finchampstead
Encyclopedia
Finchampstead is a civil parish near Wokingham
in the English
county of Berkshire
. Its northern extremity is situated 2 miles (3 km) south of Wokingham, 5 miles (8 km) west of Bracknell, 8 miles (13 km) south-east of Reading, and 33 miles (53 km) west of Central London.
on the River Blackwater
which forms the southern border with Eversley
and Hampshire
, over Eversley Bridge. Finchampstead Bridge is further east, just above Eversley Cross. To the east of the parish is Sandhurst and, to the west, Swallowfield
, Arborfield
and Barkham
.
The Nine Mile Ride
(or B3430) runs the entire width of Finchampstead, through California
and then on, between King's Mere and Queen's Mere, to the border with Crowthorne
, and eventually Pinewood and its termination in Bracknell
. California is the name of this Northern part of the parish. It is a large residential village with its own Country Park surrounding the fine Longmoor Lake, on the edge of Barkham
Common.
The southern portion of the parish contains St James' parish church
; Finchampstead Village itself, at the top of Fleet Hill on the B3348; Finchampstead Lea, to the west along the A327; and the woodlands of the Ridges, spreading north to the Nine Mile Ride. This is a dense, mostly pine tree, wood much of which – including Simon's Wood (of sweet chestnuts) – is owned by the National Trust
. It has dramatic hills that give very picturesque views of the surrounding area. In the winter if there has been a good snowfall it can provide very good sledging opportunities and in the summer the long evenings make for beautiful quiet walks.
of Wokingham
. It also has its own parish council with seventeen councillors representing North & South wards.
in Berkshire
and dates back to between 2000 and 1300 BC. Trees have been removed from the mound in recent years as their roots can damage archeological remains and paths have been rerouted around the mound.
St. James' Church stands on the top of a prominent hill and has an old Roman
earthwork surrounding it. It was probably the site of a pagan temple. The Roman road
from London
to Silchester
, called the 'Devil’s Highway', ran through the middle of the parish and a Roman milestone survives at Banisters.
Finchampstead's Anglo-Saxon
name is said to have derived from the large variety of finches that still populate the area. It is referred to by the younger generation as 'Finch'. St. Oswald
apparently visited the village in the 7th century and named the local holy well
, which is recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
to have flowed with blood in times of National crisis!
Finchampstead is a richly wooded area on the western edge of old Windsor
Forest and once the centre of one of its divisional 'walkes' and 'bailiwicks'. It was the hunting place of Royalty and an old tale tells how King Henry VII
brought his son, Prince Arthur
, out onto the Ridges to see his bride, Catherine of Aragon
, for the first time. His other son, Henry VIII
, is said to have wooed two sisters at East Court Manor
until one committed suicide
in a fit of jealousy.
The Wellingtonia
Avenue was planted in Finchampstead as a monument to the 1st Duke of Wellington
in 1869. He lived in nearby Stratfield Saye
.
with a few alterations dating from the late 16th century. It has a contemporary Norman eastern apse
and a sturdy brick tower added in 1720. The font inside is late Saxon.
There are three manor house
s. East Court stood next to the church, but has been replaced by a Victorian building. The name has been taken up by another house in the village. West Court is a good 17th and 19th century house at Finchampstead Lea. Banisters, on the lower slopes of Fleet Hill, is a fine brick Restoration
house of 1683.
Most of the parish's housing is at California
, most notably the Fernlea estate, built on private farmland, and the Gorse Ride estate, both built in the early 1970's. Gorse Ride South estate was built as a temporary measure for only 10 years. The properties consist of terraced houses and terraced bungalows, and are timber framed, timber cladded prefabricated dwellings, with precast concrete end panels, with solid concrete foundations. They were designed on a Swedish style, and use timber from Sweden. They are now permanent properties, after being refurbished in the mid 1980s with timber cladding on the external walls, and tiled roofs over the previous felt roofs.
The village has a number of charming old cottages. In 1960, Finchampstead Memorial Hall was built alongside Finchampstead Cricket
Club there. A location offering magnificent out views onto the cricket fields and the tree lined perimeter of the park itself. Furthermore there are tennis
courts and a children's playground area available for use within the park. Finchampstead Church of England
Primary School is found opposite the park and is a popular school for children from reception (age 5) up to year 6 (age 11). A pre school is also run daily during term time in the Memorial Hall.
Next to the school is the old village chapel built in 1840. It is a Baptist
church with a working baptistry and has been in use by its members ever since. However in recent years its congregation has exceeded the capacity of the church, so it now meets regularly at Waverley School.
The only pub
in the country with the name of the 'Queen's Oak' sits opposite the parish church. The Tally Ho, down by the Blackwater (and often incorrectly stated to be in Eversley), is now a Bluebeckers Eating House. The Greyhound pub and restaurant situated at the top of the village main road re-opened in June 2009 after a two-year closure for redevelopment.
In April 2010 the new Finchampstead Baptist Church Centre was opened in California.
Wokingham
Wokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England about west of central London. It is about east-southeast of Reading and west of Bracknell. It spans an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 30,403...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of 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...
. Its northern extremity is situated 2 miles (3 km) south of Wokingham, 5 miles (8 km) west of Bracknell, 8 miles (13 km) south-east of Reading, and 33 miles (53 km) west of Central London.
Geography
Finchampstead parish extends from 'The Throat' on the southern edge of Wokingham, just past the Inchcape Garage, down to the Tally Ho pubPublic 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...
on the River Blackwater
River Blackwater (River Loddon)
The River Blackwater is a tributary of the River Loddon in England and, indirectly, of the River Thames. It rises at Rowhill on the outskirts of Aldershot between Aldershot in Hampshire and Farnham in Surrey and runs northwards to join the Loddon near the village of Swallowfield in Berkshire...
which forms the southern border with Eversley
Eversley
Eversley is a village and civil parish in the Hart District of North-East Hampshire, England, 21 km North East of Basingstoke. Its northern boundary is formed by the River Blackwater....
and Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, over Eversley Bridge. Finchampstead Bridge is further east, just above Eversley Cross. To the east of the parish is Sandhurst and, to the west, Swallowfield
Swallowfield
Swallowfield is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. It is situated south of the town of Reading, and north of the county boundary with Hampshire....
, Arborfield
Arborfield
Arborfield is a village in Berkshire about south-east of Reading, about west of Wokingham, and about west of the sister village of Arborfield Cross The village is on the A327 road linking Reading...
and Barkham
Barkham
Barkham is a village and civil parish about south-west of the centre of Wokingham in Berkshire.-Geography:The old part of Barkham is the small settlement by the parish church at and close to Barkham Street...
.
The Nine Mile Ride
Nine Mile Ride
Nine Mile Ride is a length of the B3430 road in the English county of Berkshire, running from the south of Bracknell to Finchampstead, near Wokingham.-Character:...
(or B3430) runs the entire width of Finchampstead, through California
California, Berkshire
California is a village in the north of the civil parish of Finchampstead in the English county of Berkshire. It is situated approximately south of Wokingham....
and then on, between King's Mere and Queen's Mere, to the border with Crowthorne
Crowthorne
Crowthorne is also a suburb of Johannesburg, South AfricaCrowthorne is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest district of south-eastern Berkshire. It has a population of 6,711...
, and eventually Pinewood and its termination in Bracknell
Bracknell
Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...
. California is the name of this Northern part of the parish. It is a large residential village with its own Country Park surrounding the fine Longmoor Lake, on the edge of Barkham
Barkham
Barkham is a village and civil parish about south-west of the centre of Wokingham in Berkshire.-Geography:The old part of Barkham is the small settlement by the parish church at and close to Barkham Street...
Common.
The southern portion of the parish contains St James' parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
; Finchampstead Village itself, at the top of Fleet Hill on the B3348; Finchampstead Lea, to the west along the A327; and the woodlands of the Ridges, spreading north to the Nine Mile Ride. This is a dense, mostly pine tree, wood much of which – including Simon's Wood (of sweet chestnuts) – is owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
. It has dramatic hills that give very picturesque views of the surrounding area. In the winter if there has been a good snowfall it can provide very good sledging opportunities and in the summer the long evenings make for beautiful quiet walks.
Local government
Finchampstead lies within the unitary authorityUnitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
of Wokingham
Wokingham (district)
Wokingham is a local government district in Berkshire, United Kingdom. It is named after its main town, Wokingham. Other places in the district include Arborfield, Barkham, Charvil, Earley, Finchampstead, Hurst, Sonning, Remenham, Ruscombe, Shinfield, Twyford, Wargrave, Three Mile Cross, Winnersh,...
. It also has its own parish council with seventeen councillors representing North & South wards.
History
Warren Wood, an area of secondary birch oak and pine woodland and a large meadow, between Nine Mile Ride and Warren Lane, contains a scheduled ancient monument, a round burial mound, which is the largest example of a bell barrowBell barrow
A bell barrow, sometimes referred to as a Wessex type barrow, campanulate form barrow, or a bermed barrow is a type of tumulus identified as such by both John Aubrey and William Stukeley....
in 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...
and dates back to between 2000 and 1300 BC. Trees have been removed from the mound in recent years as their roots can damage archeological remains and paths have been rerouted around the mound.
St. James' Church stands on the top of a prominent hill and has an old Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
earthwork surrounding it. It was probably the site of a pagan temple. The Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Silchester
Silchester
Silchester is a village and civil parish about north of Basingstoke in Hampshire. It is adjacent to the county boundary with Berkshire and about south-west of Reading....
, called the 'Devil’s Highway', ran through the middle of the parish and a Roman milestone survives at Banisters.
Finchampstead's Anglo-Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
name is said to have derived from the large variety of finches that still populate the area. It is referred to by the younger generation as 'Finch'. St. Oswald
Oswald of Northumbria
Oswald was King of Northumbria from 634 until his death, and is now venerated as a Christian saint.Oswald was the son of Æthelfrith of Bernicia and came to rule after spending a period in exile; after defeating the British ruler Cadwallon ap Cadfan, Oswald brought the two Northumbrian kingdoms of...
apparently visited the village in the 7th century and named the local holy well
Holy well
A holy well, or sacred spring, is a small body of water emerging from underground and revered either in a Pagan or Christian context, often both. Holy wells were frequently pagan sacred sites that later became Christianized. The term 'holy well' is commonly employed to refer to any water source of...
, which is recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
to have flowed with blood in times of National crisis!
Finchampstead is a richly wooded area on the western edge of old Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
Forest and once the centre of one of its divisional 'walkes' and 'bailiwicks'. It was the hunting place of Royalty and an old tale tells how King Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
brought his son, Prince Arthur
Arthur, Prince of Wales
Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales was the first son of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and therefore, heir to the throne of England. As he predeceased his father, Arthur never became king...
, out onto the Ridges to see his bride, Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
, for the first time. His other son, Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, is said to have wooed two sisters at East Court Manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
until one committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in a fit of jealousy.
The Wellingtonia
Sequoiadendron
Sequoiadendron giganteum is the sole living species in the genus Sequoiadendron, and one of three species of coniferous trees known as redwoods, classified in the family Cupressaceae in the subfamily Sequoioideae, together with Sequoia sempervirens and...
Avenue was planted in Finchampstead as a monument to the 1st Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
in 1869. He lived in nearby Stratfield Saye
Stratfield Saye
Stratfield Saye is a village and civil parish in the north-east of the English county of Hampshire.The parish includes the hamlets of West End Green, Fair Oak Green and Fair Cross.The name means 'Street-Field of the Saye family'...
.
Buildings
The present St. James' Church is almost entirely NormanNorman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
with a few alterations dating from the late 16th century. It has a contemporary Norman eastern apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
and a sturdy brick tower added in 1720. The font inside is late Saxon.
There are three manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
s. East Court stood next to the church, but has been replaced by a Victorian building. The name has been taken up by another house in the village. West Court is a good 17th and 19th century house at Finchampstead Lea. Banisters, on the lower slopes of Fleet Hill, is a fine brick Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
house of 1683.
Most of the parish's housing is at California
California, Berkshire
California is a village in the north of the civil parish of Finchampstead in the English county of Berkshire. It is situated approximately south of Wokingham....
, most notably the Fernlea estate, built on private farmland, and the Gorse Ride estate, both built in the early 1970's. Gorse Ride South estate was built as a temporary measure for only 10 years. The properties consist of terraced houses and terraced bungalows, and are timber framed, timber cladded prefabricated dwellings, with precast concrete end panels, with solid concrete foundations. They were designed on a Swedish style, and use timber from Sweden. They are now permanent properties, after being refurbished in the mid 1980s with timber cladding on the external walls, and tiled roofs over the previous felt roofs.
The village has a number of charming old cottages. In 1960, Finchampstead Memorial Hall was built alongside Finchampstead Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
Club there. A location offering magnificent out views onto the cricket fields and the tree lined perimeter of the park itself. Furthermore there are tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
courts and a children's playground area available for use within the park. Finchampstead 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...
Primary School is found opposite the park and is a popular school for children from reception (age 5) up to year 6 (age 11). A pre school is also run daily during term time in the Memorial Hall.
Next to the school is the old village chapel built in 1840. It is a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
church with a working baptistry and has been in use by its members ever since. However in recent years its congregation has exceeded the capacity of the church, so it now meets regularly at Waverley School.
The only pub
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...
in the country with the name of the 'Queen's Oak' sits opposite the parish church. The Tally Ho, down by the Blackwater (and often incorrectly stated to be in Eversley), is now a Bluebeckers Eating House. The Greyhound pub and restaurant situated at the top of the village main road re-opened in June 2009 after a two-year closure for redevelopment.
In April 2010 the new Finchampstead Baptist Church Centre was opened in California.
Sport & Leisure
- Finchampstead Cricket Club
- Finchampstead Football ClubFinchampstead F.C.Finchampstead F.C. are a football club based in Finchampstead, near Wokingham, Berkshire, England. They were established in 1952 and joined the Chiltonian League in 1987. Currently they are members of the Hellenic Football League Division One East. The record attendance is 425 against Sandhurst...
http://www.finchampsteadfc.co.uk - Finchampstead Netball Team
- 1st Finchampstead Scout Group
- Finch Coasters Running Club
External links
- The Devil's Highway
- Finchampstead Memorial Hall
- Finchampstead Parish Council
- Royal Berkshire History: Finchampstead
- Welcome to Finchampstead Village
- WriterGuy's Weborama Page: Finchampstead Ridges Panorama
- Finchampstead North Conservative Party
- Finchampstead Baptist Church
- Finches Pre-School
- FBC Centre