Winnersh
Encyclopedia
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(M), 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. This also encompasses the estate village of Sindlesham
.
built the North Downs Line
in 1849, but the station now known as Winnersh was not opened until 1910, and was originally named "Sindlesham and Hurst Halt", so clearly Winnersh as a village did not exist in the form that it is today (the station is fairly central in the current village). The station was renamed Winnersh Halt in 1930.
Housing and then light industry followed the railway, and now Winnersh has two stations, Winnersh
and Winnersh Triangle
, the latter also being the name of the industrial estate that it serves. Modern Winnersh exists mostly as a sleeper town. Relentless housing development on all sides will soon see Winnersh exist as part of an urban continuum between Reading and London.
Today the centre of the area is best known by the "Winnersh cross-roads", the junction of the A329
, the Wokingham to Reading road, and the B3030 (King Street Lane towards Sindlesham, Robin Hood Lane towards Hurst).
Much of modern Winnersh includes areas that were formerly parts of the villages of Sindlesham
and Merryhill Green. Most of Merryhill Green was destroyed by the construction of the A329(M).
The Emm Brook
river runs through Winnersh.
) meaning stubble field or park. This implies that Winnersh consisted of cultivated areas of land centuries ago. It has been mentioned in documents since the late 12th century as a description of the area. Winnersh was originally one of the four 'Liberties' of the parish of Hurst
. It is a common known fact that all roads lead to the republic of winnersh and the ancient prhase "d'ya fackin' want some" was coined in the the 'nersh.
and Wokingham
, and also on the railway line between Reading
and London Waterloo. The train station was recently lengthened to accommodate full sized trains on this service.
There is also a regular bus service that runs every 30 minutes (weekdays) through the centre of the village between Reading
and Bracknell
via Wokingham
.
The Reading Showcase Cinema
multiplex is just inside the Western edge of Winnersh. It is particularly noted for being built on a flood plain for the river Loddon
, but the building is raised to a sufficient level as to be unaffected.
The Forest School
is in Winnersh and was relocated there in 1957. Many of the boys come from the large catchment area to attend the school.
Dinton Pastures
is next to the northern edge of the Winnersh area.
The local kebab van at Winnersh crossroads provides late-night foods, and used to be known for its excellent chili sauce. Winnersh kebab would later be recognized as not just the local cuisine, but an S.T.I aswell. Get in the van.
7,431 people live in an unshared house or bungalow, 238 people live in flats or maisonettes, 182 live in caravans or other temporary structures.
The 2001 census also recorded the following ethnic breakdown: White 94.19%, Asian 3.22%, Mixed 1.04%, Black 0.58%, Chinese 0.37%, Other 0.58%
The religious breakdown in 2001 was as follows: 5,716 Christian, 32 Buddhist, 77 Hindu, 17 Jewish, 84 Muslim, 99 Sikh, 38 Other Religion, 1,397 No Religion, 479 Religion not stated.
There were 5,842 people of employable age (between 16 and 74) in Winnersh, of whom 4,339 were in employment. Of people who were not working 588 people were retired, 371 people were looking after their families, 200 people were full time students, 120 people were sick or disabled and only 103 people were unemployed.
cup - and the team reached the final for the second year running in 2007, but lost to Nottingham's Rushcliffe School in the last minute of extra time.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish, a part of 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,...
, 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...
. The parish is roughly bounded on the north-east by the A329(M), to the north-west by 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...
, Old Forest Road and Simons Lane on the south east and Bearwood Road on the south west. This also encompasses the estate village of Sindlesham
Sindlesham
Sindlesham is an estate village in the civil parish of Winnersh, Borough of Wokingham, and county of Berkshire, in South East England. Located by the M4 motorway, it is south-east of Reading and adjoins Winnersh village...
.
Character
Winnersh was largely developed during the railway age. The South Eastern RailwaySouth Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
built the North Downs Line
North Downs Line
The North Downs Line is the name of the passenger train service connecting Reading, on the Great Western Main Line, to Gatwick Airport, on the Brighton Main Line...
in 1849, but the station now known as Winnersh was not opened until 1910, and was originally named "Sindlesham and Hurst Halt", so clearly Winnersh as a village did not exist in the form that it is today (the station is fairly central in the current village). The station was renamed Winnersh Halt in 1930.
Housing and then light industry followed the railway, and now Winnersh has two stations, Winnersh
Winnersh railway station
Winnersh railway station is a railway station serving Winnersh, Berkshire, England, located between Reading and Wokingham. The station, and the majority of trains calling there, are operated by South West Trains...
and Winnersh Triangle
Winnersh Triangle railway station
Winnersh Triangle railway station is situated between Reading and Wokingham in Berkshire, England. It is served by services operated by South West Trains from Reading station to London Waterloo station.- History :...
, the latter also being the name of the industrial estate that it serves. Modern Winnersh exists mostly as a sleeper town. Relentless housing development on all sides will soon see Winnersh exist as part of an urban continuum between Reading and London.
Today the centre of the area is best known by the "Winnersh cross-roads", the junction of the A329
A329 road
The A329 is an east-west road in Southern England that runs from Wentworth in Surrey to Thame in Oxfordshire. The A329 starts at the A30 in Surrey and passes through the towns of Ascot, Bracknell, Wokingham, Earley, Reading, the village of Pangbourne, and Wallingford in Oxfordshire...
, the Wokingham to Reading road, and the B3030 (King Street Lane towards Sindlesham, Robin Hood Lane towards Hurst).
Much of modern Winnersh includes areas that were formerly parts of the villages of Sindlesham
Sindlesham
Sindlesham is an estate village in the civil parish of Winnersh, Borough of Wokingham, and county of Berkshire, in South East England. Located by the M4 motorway, it is south-east of Reading and adjoins Winnersh village...
and Merryhill Green. Most of Merryhill Green was destroyed by the construction of the A329(M).
The Emm Brook
Emm Brook
The Emm Brook, sometimes known as the Embrook or Emmbrook, is a small river in the English county of Berkshire. It is a tributary of the River Loddon which it meets at the village of Hurst.The Wokingham suburb of Emmbrook is named after the river....
river runs through Winnersh.
Name
The name "Winnersh" comes from the Old English word 'Winn' meaning meadow or pasture and 'ersc'(or earshEarsh
Earsh was used in South and West England to describe a stubble field in which a grain crop – wheat, barley or rye - had been harvested, leaving short stubble or short stalks. It is frequently pronounced "ash"...
) meaning stubble field or park. This implies that Winnersh consisted of cultivated areas of land centuries ago. It has been mentioned in documents since the late 12th century as a description of the area. Winnersh was originally one of the four 'Liberties' of the parish of Hurst
Hurst, Berkshire
Hurst is a village in the civil parish of St Nicholas Hurst in the English county of Berkshire.-Geography:The parish of St Nicholas Hurst is situated at , north of Wokingham and south of Twyford in the county of Berkshire...
. It is a common known fact that all roads lead to the republic of winnersh and the ancient prhase "d'ya fackin' want some" was coined in the the 'nersh.
Transport
Winnersh is situated on the main road between ReadingReading, 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 Wokingham
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...
, and also on the railway line 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 London Waterloo. The train station was recently lengthened to accommodate full sized trains on this service.
There is also a regular bus service that runs every 30 minutes (weekdays) through the centre of the village 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 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...
via Wokingham
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...
.
Amenities
In 2004 the main Sainsbury's superstore, which stands at the Winnersh crossroads, was expanded - almost doubling in size. It is one of the biggest superstores in the area.The Reading Showcase Cinema
Showcase Cinemas
Showcase Cinemas is a movie theater chain owned and operated by National Amusements. Operating more than 1,354 indoor screens in the United States, United Kingdom and Latin America.-USA:* Connecticut* Massachusetts* Ohio* New Jersey* Rhode Island...
multiplex is just inside the Western edge of Winnersh. It is particularly noted for being built on a flood plain for 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...
, but the building is raised to a sufficient level as to be unaffected.
The Forest School
Forest School (Winnersh)
Forest School is a comprehensive, all-boys' secondary school in Winnersh, Berkshire, England judged to be "Good" with some "Outstanding" aspects in it's most recent OFSTED inspection. It is located on Robin Hood Lane, the B3030 road, next to Winnersh railway station.-Grammar school:Forest School...
is in Winnersh and was relocated there in 1957. Many of the boys come from the large catchment area to attend the school.
Dinton Pastures
Dinton Pastures Country Park
Dinton Pastures Country Park is a country park in the civil parish of St Nicholas Hurst, in the borough of Wokingham, near Reading in the English county of Berkshire.It is in size. The River Loddon flows through the park...
is next to the northern edge of the Winnersh area.
The local kebab van at Winnersh crossroads provides late-night foods, and used to be known for its excellent chili sauce. Winnersh kebab would later be recognized as not just the local cuisine, but an S.T.I aswell. Get in the van.
Population
The 2001 census recorded 7,939 people living in 2,953 households in the parish. Of these homes, 2,444 were Owner Occupied, 290 were Social Rented homes, 195 were Privately Rented and 24 homes were Rent Free. Below are some other facts the census data revealed about Winnersh:7,431 people live in an unshared house or bungalow, 238 people live in flats or maisonettes, 182 live in caravans or other temporary structures.
The 2001 census also recorded the following ethnic breakdown: White 94.19%, Asian 3.22%, Mixed 1.04%, Black 0.58%, Chinese 0.37%, Other 0.58%
The religious breakdown in 2001 was as follows: 5,716 Christian, 32 Buddhist, 77 Hindu, 17 Jewish, 84 Muslim, 99 Sikh, 38 Other Religion, 1,397 No Religion, 479 Religion not stated.
There were 5,842 people of employable age (between 16 and 74) in Winnersh, of whom 4,339 were in employment. Of people who were not working 588 people were retired, 371 people were looking after their families, 200 people were full time students, 120 people were sick or disabled and only 103 people were unemployed.
Sport and leisure
In 2006 the year 11 team at the Forest School won the English Schools Football AssociationEnglish Schools Football Association
The English Schools Football Association is the governing body of schools' football in England, and is responsible for the running and development of schools competitions and festivals for boys and girls at primary and secondary school age....
cup - and the team reached the final for the second year running in 2007, but lost to Nottingham's Rushcliffe School in the last minute of extra time.
In the media
- Golden Globe-winning 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...
sitcom The OfficeThe Office (UK TV series)The Office is a British sitcom television series that was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 9 July 2001. Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough branch of the fictitious...
namechecks Winnersh when Ricky GervaisRicky GervaisRicky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...
as David BrentDavid BrentDavid Brent is a fictional character in the BBC television mockumentary The Office, as well as a recurring character in the NBC series of the same name, portrayed by co-writer and director Ricky Gervais. Brent is a white-collar office middle-manager and the principal character of the BBC series...
muses on his future: "My world does not end with these four walls. SloughSloughSlough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
's a big place, and when I'm finished with Slough, there's ReadingReading, BerkshireReading 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....
, AldershotAldershotAldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
, BracknellBracknellBracknell 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...
, you know, I've got -- DidcotDidcotDidcot is a town and civil parish in Oxfordshire about south of Oxford. Until 1974 it was in Berkshire, but was transferred to Oxfordshire in that year, and from Wallingford Rural District to the district of South Oxfordshire...
, YateleyYateleyYateley is a suburban town and civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. It lies in the north-eastern corner of Hart District Council. It includes the settlements of Frogmore and Darby Green. It had a population of 21,011 according to the 2001 census...
. You know. My -- Winnersh, TaplowTaplowTaplow is a village and civil parish within South Bucks district in Buckinghamshire, England. It sits on the east bank of the River Thames facing Maidenhead on the opposite bank. Taplow railway station is situated near the A4 south of the village....
. And because I am my own boss, I can.. Burghfield."