Basildon, Berkshire

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Basildon
population= 1,559
civil_parish= Basildon
unitary_england= West Berkshire
region= South East England
lieutenancy_england= Berkshire
constituency_westminster=Newbury
post_town= READING
postcode_district= RG8
postcode_area= RG
dial_code= 0118
os_grid_reference= SU599779
latitude= 51.496973
longitude= -1.136999

Basildon is a civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. It comprises the villages of Upper Basildon and Lower Basildon, named for their respective heights above the River Thames. Basildon is convert|7|mi|km|0 from Reading, convert|47|mi|km|0 from London and convert|20|mi|km|0 from Oxford.

The parish is bordered to the north by the River Thames and the Oxfordshire parishes of Goring and Whitchurch-on-Thames on the other side of the river. To the south of the river it is bordered by the parishes of Pangbourne, Bradfield, Ashampstead and Streatley.cite web | url = http://www.election-maps.co.uk/ | title = Election Maps | publisher = Ordnance Survey | accessdate = 2008-02-27]

The parish forms part the unitary authority of West Berkshire. It is within the Newbury parliamentary constituency.cite web | url = http://www.election-maps.co.uk/ | title = Election Maps | publisher = Ordnance Survey | accessdate = 2008-02-27]

The National Trust property of Basildon Park is situated between Lower Basildon and Upper Basildon. Beale Wildlife Park and Gardens lies between Basildon Park and the River Thames.

History

The ancient manor of Basildon comprised the present-day civil parishes of Basildon and Ashampstead and is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Bastedene". It was an important royal manor at the time of the Norman Conquest with a female Lord of the Manor.

The parish has been inhabited since at least neolithic times and stone axes have been found dating back to 450,000 bc. The area was settled by the Romans, Saxons and Normans, partly because the Thames used to be the frontier between rival tribes and kingdoms.

It was also the home of Jethro Tull who was both born and buried in the parish.

The name "Basildon Bond" known for the writing paper and stationery is believed to have been named after the Basildon Park estate of Major James Archibald Morrison which he owned between 1910 and 1929.

References

External links

* [http://www.basildon-berks.net/ Upper and Lower Basildon Village Website]
* [http://www.berkshirehistory.com/villages/basildon.html Royal Berkshire History: Basildon]