Hurst, Berkshire
Encyclopedia
Hurst is a village in the civil parish of St Nicholas Hurst in the English
county of Berkshire
.
and 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Twyford
in the county of Berkshire
. It covers some 2.50 square miles (6.50 square kilometres) and as such is the largest civil parish in the Borough of Wokingham
.
The village is on the A321 Twyford to Wokingham road. There are a number of other smaller areas of sporadic development, the main ones being along Davis Street on the B3030 Twyford to Winnersh
road, along the B3034 Forest Road, from Bill Hill to Binfield and on Broadcommon Road.
The River Loddon
flows north along the western side of the Parish and a substantial proportion of the parish lies within the alluvial flood plain of this river and its tributaries
. The most important exceptions to this are Church Hill just to the west of the village centre, and Ashridge to the south-east.
The M4 motorway
crosses the southern half of the parish but does not have any direct access within the Parish. The A329(M)
forms the south-west boundary, separating Hurst from Wokingham and Winnersh.
The main London to Bristol
railway line
runs along the northern boundary, with a station
in the neighbouring parish of Twyford.
of Wokingham Borough. Both the parish council and the unitary authority
are responsible for different aspects of local government.
and Country
Fayre
which usually takes place over the last weekend of June. There are several active sports club
s, including cricket
, football
, tennis
and fishing
with one of the most popular fishing venues being Redlands run by Southlake Angling Society. Thespians
are also catered for with the biennial pantomime
. The village hall
is the venue for a number of cultural events and is the home of the Pre-School Playgroup
. The Stanlake Park Wine Estate
is in the north of the parish.
The school was first built in 1843.
As of 2005, the head teacher
of the school is Christine Hyatt. The 2000 OFSTED report identified that over 98% of the students were white
, the remaining being of Indian descent.
The primary school shares a breakfast club with St. Nicholas Pre-School Playgroup, a registered charity and member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance
, which is open to all students and children of the playgroup
.
Dolphin School is a coeducational, independent, preparatory day school and Montessori Nursery for children between the ages of 3 and 13.
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...
.
Geography
The parish of St Nicholas Hurst is situated at , 4 miles (6.4 km) north of WokinghamWokingham
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...
and 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Twyford
Twyford, Berkshire
For other places of the same name, see Twyford.Twyford is a village and civil parish in the English Royal county of Berkshire. It is situated, at , in the heart of the Thames Valley on the A4 between Reading and Maidenhead, close to Henley-on-Thames and Wokingham.-History:The town's name is...
in the 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...
. It covers some 2.50 square miles (6.50 square kilometres) and as such is the largest civil parish in the Borough 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,...
.
The village is on the A321 Twyford to Wokingham road. There are a number of other smaller areas of sporadic development, the main ones being along Davis Street on the B3030 Twyford to Winnersh
Winnersh
Winnersh is a village and civil parish, a part of the Borough of Wokingham, in the English county of Berkshire. The parish is roughly bounded on the north-east by the A329, to the north-west by the river Loddon, Old Forest Road and Simons Lane on the south east and Bearwood Road on the south west...
road, along the B3034 Forest Road, from Bill Hill to Binfield and on Broadcommon Road.
The River Loddon
River Loddon
The River Loddon is a river in the English counties of Berkshire and Hampshire. It is a tributary of the River Thames, rising within the urban area of Basingstoke and flowing to meet the Thames near the village of Wargrave...
flows north along the western side of the Parish and a substantial proportion of the parish lies within the alluvial flood plain of this river and its tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
. The most important exceptions to this are Church Hill just to the west of the village centre, and Ashridge to the south-east.
The M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
crosses the southern half of the parish but does not have any direct access within the Parish. The A329(M)
A329(M) motorway
The A329 is a motorway in Berkshire, England. It is 4 miles long and runs from the north of Bracknell to the south east of Reading.-Route:...
forms the south-west boundary, separating Hurst from Wokingham and Winnersh.
The main London to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
railway 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...
runs along the northern boundary, with a station
Twyford railway station
Twyford railway station is a railway station in the village of Twyford, Berkshire, England.It is served by local services operated by First Great Western from , east, to...
in the neighbouring parish of Twyford.
Local government
St Nicholas Hurst is a civil parish with an elected parish council. It falls within the area of 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 Borough. Both the parish council and the unitary authority
Unitary 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...
are responsible for different aspects of local government.
Culture
The main event of the year in Hurst is the annual Horse ShowHorse show
A Horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and...
and Country
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
Fayre
Fair
A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
which usually takes place over the last weekend of June. There are several active sports club
Sports club
A sports club or sport club, sometimes athletics club or sports association is a club for the purpose of playing one or more sports...
s, including 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...
, football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, 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...
and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
with one of the most popular fishing venues being Redlands run by Southlake Angling Society. Thespians
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
are also catered for with the biennial pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
. 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 the venue for a number of cultural events and is the home of the Pre-School Playgroup
Pre-school playgroup
A pre-school playgroup, or in everyday usage just a playgroup, is an organised group providing care and socialisation for children under five. The term is widely used in the United Kingdom. Playgroups are less formal than the pre-school education of nursery schools...
. The Stanlake Park Wine Estate
Stanlake Park Wine Estate
Stanlake Park Wine Estate is the biggest vineyard open to the public in the English county of Berkshire. It is situated near to Twyford, on the borders with Hurst and Ruscombe.-Vineyard and winery:...
is in the north of the parish.
Education
The St. Nicholas Church of England Primary School is a voluntary controlled primary school in the village which educates children ages 5–11.As of 2005, the head teacher
Head teacher
A head teacher or school principal is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school....
of the school is Christine Hyatt. The 2000 OFSTED report identified that over 98% of the students were white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
, the remaining being of Indian descent.
The primary school shares a breakfast club with St. Nicholas Pre-School Playgroup, a registered charity and member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance
Pre-school learning alliance
Pre-school Learning Alliance is an early-years educational registered charityand a voluntary sector provider of childcare for young children in England.-Early days:...
, which is open to all students and children of the playgroup
Playgroup
Playgroup may refer to:* Pre-school playgroup, a kind of pre-school care*Playgroup , a British dance act*Playgroup , arts and entertainment events in England...
.
Dolphin School is a coeducational, independent, preparatory day school and Montessori Nursery for children between the ages of 3 and 13.
External links
- Parish Council
- Village Society
- Local History
- Horse Show & Country Fayre
- Dolphin School
- St Nicholas Church of England Primary School official website
- History of St Nicholas Primary School
- St Nicholas Primary School profile provided by the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
- OFSTED inspection report for St Nicholas Primary School, November 2006. (PDF file)
- Pantomime Group
- Village Halls
- War Memorial
- Wooded Hill
- St.Nicholas CofE School
- Hurst Romans Football Club