Woolhampton

infobox UK place
country= England
official_name= Woolhampton
latitude= 51.397297
longitude= -1.176987
civil_parish= Woolhampton
unitary_england= West Berkshire
region= South East England
lieutenancy_england= Berkshire
constituency_westminster= Newbury
os_grid_reference= SU572668

Woolhampton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. The village is situated on the London to Bath (A4) road between the towns of Reading (8 miles) and Newbury (6 miles). The village lies on the northern edge of the flat flood plain of the River Kennet, with the Berkshire Downs rising above the village to the north.Ordnance Survey (2006). "OS Explorer Map 158 - Newbury & Hungerford". ISBN 0-319-46352-4.]

Besides the A4 road, both the Reading to Plymouth railway line and the Kennet and Avon Canal also pass through the village. On the railway, Woolhampton is served by Midgham station in the village. The station was originally known as Woolhampton station but, according to local legend, was renamed Midgham station (after the village of Midgham, one mile west-northwest) in order to avoid possible confusion with the similarly named Wolverhampton station.cite web | url = http://web.ukonline.co.uk/cj.tolley/cjt-brhm.htm | title = Basingstoke's Railway History in Maps | publisher = Christopher J. Tolley | date = 2001 | accessdate = 2007-09-13]

The A4 road forms the main street of the village. An unclassified road runs to the south, towards the village of Brimpton. This crosses the railway line by the station on a level crossing, followed shortly afterwards by a swing bridge across the river and canal (which share a common channel at this point). Woolhampton Lock lies just to the west. Two other unclassified roads leave the village to the north, climbing into the Berkshire Downs.Ordnance Survey (2006). "OS Explorer Map 158 - Newbury & Hungerford". ISBN 0-319-46352-4.]

Because of its location on the Bath road, Woolhampton was well known for its coaching inns. Two of these survive on the main road, "The Falmouth Arms" and "The Angel". A third public house, "The Rowbarge", is, as its name suggests, situated alongside the Kennet and Avon Canal next to the swing bridge.cite web | title = Berkshire History : Woolhampton | url = http://www.berkshirehistory.com/villages/woolhampton.html | publisher = Nash Ford Publishing | date = 2004 | accessdate = 2007-09-13]

On the higher land some half mile to the north of the village is the adjacent settlement of Upper Woolhampton, which contains both Woolhampton ("St Peters") church and the village school. A further half mile to the north, but still within the civil parish, is the Benedictine Douai Abbey community, and its now-closed Douai School. Between Douai Abbey and the village is the historic Woolhampton House, which now houses Elstree School, a preparatory school that relocated to Woolhampton from the London suburb of Elstree during the second world war.Ordnance Survey (2006). "OS Explorer Map 158 - Newbury & Hungerford". ISBN 0-319-46352-4.] cite web | title = Berkshire History : Woolhampton | url = http://www.berkshirehistory.com/villages/woolhampton.html | publisher = Nash Ford Publishing | date = 2004 | accessdate = 2007-09-13] cite web | title = Our History | url = http://www.elstreeschool.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=39 | publisher = Elstree School | accessdate = 2007-09-13]

The civil parish of Woolhampton includes the village of Woolhampton, the adjacent settlement of Upper Woolhampton, and the rural area to the north, east and south of the village. It has a parish council, and also lies in the West Berkshire local government district and the Newbury parliamentary constituency.Ordnance Survey (2006). "OS Explorer Map 158 - Newbury & Hungerford". ISBN 0-319-46352-4.] cite web | title = Woolhampton Parish Council’s Web Site | url = http://www.woolhampton-org.co.uk/index.html | accessdate = 2007-09-13]

The Woolhampton Reed Bed, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, lies alongside the River Kennet within the parish and to the south east of the village. The dense reed bed, with smaller areas of tall fen vegetation and carr woodland, is notable for its nesting passerine bird populations and for the diversity of insects it supports. [cite web | title=Woolhampton Reed Bed | work=English Nature | url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000370.pdf | accessdate=2006-09-22]

Gallery

ee also

* List of civil parishes in Berkshire

References