tiistai 22. joulukuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Central London from a #11 bus: Chelsea-Downing Street-Bank of England 2015-08-23


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Lights Christmas and New Year 2015


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Oxford Street London 2015 Christmas Lights + Windows + Decorations


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Lagerin - Bayern Breaker - Hyde Park Winter Wonderland 2015


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Winter Wonderland 2015 Hyde Park London


LONDON, UNITED KINDM - Top London 2015 Christmas lights & store windows


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - 74


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Route 74 timelapse.


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - NO. 74 BUS ROUTE FROM PUTNEY BRIDGE ROAD TO BAKER STR STN - PART 1


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - NO. 74 BUS ROUTE FROM PUTNEY BRIDGE ROAD TO BAKER STR STN - PART 2


maanantai 7. joulukuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (557.) - Hounslow - Sunbury-on-Thames - Hampton Court - Esher


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Underground August 2015


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Piccadilly Underground station to Heathrow Airport on the Piccadilly Line 2015-08-25


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Sight and Sounds of London UK (Piccadilly Circus to Shaftesbury Avenue Night Walk)


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Sights and Sounds of London, UK (Trafalgar Square To Chinatown Evening Walk


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Sights and Sounds of London, UK (Bridge Street to Westminster Bridge Morning Walk)


sunnuntai 6. joulukuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (555.) - Lambeth North - Elephant & Castle - Bermondsey - Deptford - Greenwich


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (559.) - Earlsfield - Mitcham - Wallington - Coulsdon


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - East Ham Highstreet, Newham London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Driving in London - Clapham Common to Chelsea Bridge


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Bus Route 7 to Russell Square - Metroline Optare Olympus - LK57 KBE


torstai 12. marraskuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Victoria Station, London.


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Victoria Station London 2015


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Buses and trams in George Street, Croydon 05/10/2015


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - New Bus For London / New Routemaster October 2015 Update


GREATER LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (553.) - Tolworth - Sutton - Wallington


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Brompton bicycle beats Porsche 911 in London traffic (well, almost...)


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Cycling in London - a close call with a pedestrian


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Cycling Bow Roundabout to Aldgate Junction 7th October 2015 during CS2 construction


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Poor bus driving or pedestrian fault? LTZ 1271


maanantai 26. lokakuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Underground/Overground Observations


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Full Journey on London Overground from Highbury & Islington to Crystal Palace


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - I LOVE LONDON


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - LONDON SHOPPING!


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - BEAUTIFUL LONDON


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - BEN & STEVES LONDON TOUR!


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - The morning & evening Commuter rush hour at Barbican Station, London - (a people watching video).


sunnuntai 25. lokakuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Central London from a #11 bus: Chelsea-Downing Street-Bank of England 2015-08-23


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - This is London (Slow Motion)


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (445.) - Kensington - Knightsbridge - Pimlico - Parliament Square - City of London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Arab Supercars in London! 24.07.2015 - Knightsbridge


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (549.) - Lambeth - Pimlico - Sloane Square - South Kensington - Knightsbridge


UNITED KINDOM - ISO-BRITANNIA - UK Bad Drivers, Road Rage, Crash Compilation #11 [2015]


lauantai 17. lokakuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Virtual Walk up Regent Street in London at Night 3


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - 177 bus Peckham To Charlton Volvo B5LH Enviro 400 MMC 10.5m


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Walk Around Willesden Green Tube Station in London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Bus driver view route 24


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London United SP11 Scania Omnicity @ 111 Hampton Lodge to Grove Road


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Bus 102 ride in London.


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - [British Bus Rides] Arriva London North 253 from Euston to Hackney Central (whole route)


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - India alive in London - Documentary


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London, belgravia


lauantai 26. syyskuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Full Journey On The District Line S7 Stock From Ealing Broadway To Upminster


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Bad Drivers of SW London 6


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Bad Drivers of SW London 5


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Bad Drivers of SW London 4


LONDON, UNITED KINDON - Bad Drivers of SW London 3


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Bad Drivers of SW London 2


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Bad Drivers of SW London 1


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Poor bus driving or pedestrian fault? LTZ 1271


perjantai 25. syyskuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London bus strike: Commuters and tourists face 24-hours of travel misery


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - TfL Bus strike - London bus strike 2015: TfL offers advice ahead of driver strike


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Bus driver Strike 2015 with Allan Edwards


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - BUS DRIVERS' PAY DEAL STRIKE 2015


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Proof the bus is no way to hack the tube strike


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Absolute carnage getting around London over tube strike


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - The London Underground Strike Party!


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Five Minute London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Walking London South Kensington


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Walking: Warwick Way to Colonnade Walk - London, England - August 28. 2015


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Commute Home


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Full Journey On a Fast Metropolitan Line From Aldgate To Chesham


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Underground June 2014


torstai 24. syyskuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Full Journey on London Underground District line (S7 Stock) from Upminster to Richmond


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Full Journey on c2c from London Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness (via Basildon) [all stations]


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Number 31 bus ride from Camden Town to White City Bus Station, London - (the complete journey).


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (540.) - Chancery Lane - Strand - Waterloo - Lambeth


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (539.) - Finsbury - Shoreditch High Street - Bethnal Green - Canary Wharf


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Driving London England


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Driving London Continued


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - DRIVING MAD - West London #3 2015


tiistai 1. syyskuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Kings road London, the view from Pret a Manger.


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (533.) - Duke Of York's - King's Road - Fulham - Hammersmith


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Westfield London | #ICANTBREATHE Protest / Riot | White City Shepherds Bush 10th December 2014


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Number 31 bus ride from Camden Town to White City Bus Station, London - (the complete journey).


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - A TOUR ROUND FORBIDDEN PLANET LONDON 2015


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Forbidden Planet Super Store London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - A walk through Cecil Court (Diagon Alley) + an interview with Jeremy from Watkins Books in London.


lauantai 15. elokuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Traffic Jam - London #2


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Huge Traffic Jam in London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London’s Autumn Season – Downton Abbey’s Jim Carter reveals his cultural guide to London this Autumn


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Barking from TFL Route 5 to Romford Market, Fri 26 June 15


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - The 103 TFL Essex Bus to Chase Cross [Full Journey]


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Arriva London North VDL DB300 Wright Gemini 2 DW264 LJ59LXV. Route 264 To St. George's Hospital


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (530.) - Imperial College - South Kensington - Chelsea


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (532.) - Putney - Wandsworth - Battersea


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (531.) - Twickenham - Richmond - Putney


torstai 16. heinäkuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Carnaby Street In London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Supercars in London - March 2015 (Blue Enzo, SLS Black-Series, custom Aventadors, SLR)


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Supercars of London (Summer 2015)


GREATER LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (524.) - Marlow - A404 - A404M - M4 - London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (528.) - London Bridge - Southwark - Blackfrias - Chancery Lane


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Welcome To LONDON ! ( GoPro hero 4/Central London 2015)


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Clerkenwell walk - London Walk


maanantai 6. heinäkuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Huge Traffic Jam in London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Series 8 Episode 7 - London Underground


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - How London Underground System Looks Like


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Hyde Park


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (527.) - Paddington - Marylebone - Euston


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Sightseeing tour along the river Thames ,London by City Cruises


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Driving through the City of London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Whitehall ~ City of Westminster ~ London SW1


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - The London Underground (tube ) ~ Charing Cross to Hyde Park Corner


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Cycling in London (Kensington High Street and Kensington Road)


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Buses at St Paul's 04/04/2015


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Top 10 Attractions London - UK Travel Guide


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Sightseeing And Attractions Vlog - April 2015


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Travel Video Guide • Great Destinations


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London 2015


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London bus tour. City sightseeing


torstai 18. kesäkuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - 168 Bus Ride (at night) from Aldwych to Camden High Street, London - 10th December 2011


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Amazing Israeli Drummer: Dov Rosen dueting with a Violinist at Camden Lock Market, London, 28/09/14


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Buses Trains & The Underground - Summer 2014


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Rich Nigerians Spend Millions on London Property - but WHERE?


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - The Truth About Property


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London's out of control Ponzi booming property sector (03Feb14)


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Travel London: East End - Shoreditch


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - BBC London calling Shoreditch


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Video Tour: The East End


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - East ham london


keskiviikko 17. kesäkuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - East Ham Highstreet, Newham London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Walking on London's "Little India Street" - Green Street, Upton Park, E7 - 9th December 2013


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (484.) - Mayfair - Notting Hill - North Kensington


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Souvenir shops pop up across London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London's Jermyn St. to get face lift


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Video of Bloomsbury London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Bloomsbury Walk - London Bloomsbury - British Museum


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - fitzrovia - Bloomsbury and St Giles London walk


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Covent Garden


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Mr Bean Impersonator Covent Garden


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - World's FUNNIEST Street Magician Visit Covent Garden London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Covent Garden Walk London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Traffic Chaos - Microsoft Hyperlapse Pro (15 min to 45 secs)


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets Traffic Control Centre: Keeping London Moving 24/7


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Transportation in London London, England


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Underground: Victoria Line


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Imagine THIS happening on the London Underground!


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Buses at St Paul's 04/04/2015


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - cycling in Richmond Park, London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Richmond Park London 31 March 2015 I


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Richmond Park London 31 March 2015 II


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Double Decker Driving - Series 1 Episode 1 Part 3


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - RT Bus Cab Ride Route 36 London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London bus No. 87 Aldwych - Lambeth Bridge


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Bus Route 7 to Russell Square - Metroline Optare Olympus - LK57 KBE


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - (HD) Route 18 Visual - Euston to Sudbury


keskiviikko 10. kesäkuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Getting Around London!


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Public Transport in London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (523.) - London Bridge - Tower Bridge - Aldgate - Moorgate


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (522.) - Canning Town - Stratford - Leyton - Leytonstone


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - A ride on the Number 5 bus from Romford Station to Canning Town Station, London.


sunnuntai 7. kesäkuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Walking from Aldgate East Station through Fenchurch street (London)


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Walking down Commercial Road (London)


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Walking in London after the rain (Southwark) - 14th May 2015


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Full Journey On The District Line (S7 Stock) From Edgware Road to Wimbledon


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Wimbledon Village - 2nd Jan 2011


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London streets (344.) - Forest Hill - Dulwich - Clapham - Wimbledon


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Victoria to Forest Hill, 185 Bus Journey.


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (521.) - Cricklewood - Harlesden - Shepherd's Bush


lauantai 6. kesäkuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Willesden Green Video


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Paddy singing in the middle of the road


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - A rainy day on Cricklewood Broadway, Kilburn, London.


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Cab Ride: Acton Town to Heathrow Terminal 4


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Cab Ride: High Barnet to Morden (via Bank)


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Northern Line Cab Ride: Camden Town - Morden Via Bank Timelapse


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Taking a walk from inside Camden Town Underground Train Station then along Camden High Street up to Camden Lock Market, London, UK; 12th August 2012


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - CAMDEN TOWN, LONDON (1)


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Camden Lock Market


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Sunday Market at Brick Lane, London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - A tour of Old Spitalfields Market, London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Some sights & sounds around Petticoat Lane Street Market, London - Sunday 9th February 2014


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Full Journey On The Northern Line From Morden to High Barnet Via Charing Cross ATO


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (520.) - Leytonstone - Romford - Brentwood


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Regent's Canal in London -- Ein Stück heile Welt -- Expedia.de


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Regents Canal


tiistai 2. kesäkuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Driving in London - East Dulwich to Loughborough Junction


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London streets (29.) - Wembley - Brent park - M1 - St. Albans


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - The British Museum in London Walking Tour


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Turismo en Londres UK, Inglaterra - marzo 2014 HD


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - The New Tube for London


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Underground - Longest Escalator in Angel Station


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - The changing Face of Hornsey


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London Streets (518.) - City of London - Old Street - Manor House - Hornsey


maanantai 1. kesäkuuta 2015

LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London United Optare Tempo OT8 YJ11 EHP. Route H37 Richmond Manor Circus to Hounslow Blenheim Centre


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Abellio London Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 9507 SN59 AVU. Route 414 Maida Hill To Putney Bridge


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Arriva London North Wright Volvo B5LH Gemini Hybrid HV104 LJ13 FCA. Route 29 To Wood Green


GREATER LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - London streets (228.) - Evening drive out from Wokingham


LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - Mercedes Sprinter - Edgware Road to Motcomb Street - London SW1


UNITED KINDOM - ISO-BRITANNIA - Mercedes Sprinter - In Wokingham


UNITED KINDOM - ISO-BRITANNIA - Wokingham street parties


UNITED KINDOM - ISO-BRITANNIA - Wokingham drugs crackdown


UNITED KINDOM - ISO-BRITANNIA - Wokingham rubbish and recycling


UNITED KINDOM ISO-BRITANNIA - Wokingham Rock Choir Flash Mob 2


UNITED KINDOM - ISO-BRITANNIA - Luxury New Homes | Glebelands | Wokingham | Berkshire | Banner Homes


UNITED KINDOM - ISO-BRITANNIA - Wokingham from the air


UNITED KINDOM - ISO-BRITANNIA - 46201 Princess accelerates through Wokingham on 03 Jun 2012


UNITED KINDOM - ISO-BRITANNIA - Wokingham Diamond Jubilee celebrations


UNITED KINDOM - ISO-BRITANNIA - GoPro | Wokingham Town Center on a Weekend | Flight EK30


UNITED KINDOM - ISO-BRITANNIA - A day in Wokingham


UNITED KINDOM - ISO-BRITANNIA - Wokingham drugs operation


UNITED KINDOM - ISO-BRITANNIA - Drive thru Wokingham (UK)


UNITED KINDOM - ISO-BRITANNIA - 2004 Wokingham Handicap


UNITED KINDOM - ISO-BRITANNIA - 2000 Wokingham Handicap


UNITED KINDOM - ISO-BRITANNIA - GREENFIELDS CARP FISHING, WOKINGHAM, BERKSHIRE


UNITED KINDOM - ISO-BRITANNIA - Wokingham area video tour


WOKINGHAM, UNITED KINDOM - ISO-BRITANNIA -

Wokingham

 
 
   
Wokingham
Wokingham-town-hall.jpg
Wokingham Town Hall
Wokingham is located in Berkshire
Wokingham
Wokingham
 Wokingham shown within Berkshire
Area  0.9 sq mi (2.3 km2)
Population 30,403 (2001)
   – density  33,781/sq mi (13,043/km2)
OS grid reference SU8068
   – London 33 mi (53 km)  ENE
Civil parish Wokingham
Unitary authority Wokingham
Ceremonial county Berkshire
Region South East
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town WOKINGHAM
Postcode district RG40, RG41 (Winnersh)
Police Thames Valley
Fire Royal Berkshire
Ambulance South Central
EU Parliament South East England
UK Parliament Wokingham
Website Wokingham Town Council
List of places
UK
England
Berkshire
Coordinates: 51.410°N 0.840°W
Wokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England about 33 miles (53 km) west of central London. It is about 7 miles (11 km) east-southeast of Reading and 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Bracknell. It contains an area of 557 acres (0.9 sq mi) and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 30,403. It is the seat of the Borough of Wokingham, and forms part of the wider Reading/Wokingham Urban Area.
Before 1844, the north of the parish of Wokingham was part of a detached portion, or exclave, of the county of Wiltshire, the border of which is some 30 miles (48 km) to the west. The Counties (Detached Parts) Act of that year resulted in its transfer to the county of Berkshire.[1][2]
Wokingham was a borough before the 1974 reorganisation of local government, when it merged with Wokingham Rural District to form the new Wokingham District. What had been Wokingham Borough became Wokingham Town, but retained its mayor. The District Council applied for borough status, which was granted and came into force on 9 March 2007. As of this date, the District (which stretches from the Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire borders in the north to the Hampshire border in the southwest) has also been able to elect a mayor.[3]
The formerly important industry of brick-making has given way to software development, light engineering and service industries. At one point Wokingham was known to have the largest number of public houses per head of the population in the United Kingdom, although in recent decades many pubs around the town have closed, while the population has greatly increased.
Wokingham should not be confused with nearby Woking, located less than 20 miles (32 km) to the southeast.

Contents

History

All Saints' Church
Wokingham means 'Wocca's people's home'.[4] Wocca was apparently a Saxon chieftain who would also have owned lands at Wokefield in Berkshire and Woking in Surrey. In Victorian times, the name became corrupted to Oakingham, and consequently the acorn with oak leaves is the town's heraldic charge, granted in the 19th century.
The courts of Windsor Forest were held at Wokingham and the town had the right to hold a market from 1219. The Bishop of Salisbury was largely responsible for the growth of the town during this period. He set out roads and plots making them available for rent. There are records showing that in 1258 he bought the rights to hold three town fairs every year.[5] Queen Elizabeth granted a town charter in 1583. From the 14th to the 16th centuries, Wokingham was well known for its bell foundry which supplied many churches across the South of England.
During the Tudor period, Wokingham was well known as a producer of silk. Some of the houses involved in these cottage industries are still to be seen in Rose Street. The houses with the taller ground floors housed the looms. This can be seen from the position of the exterior beams of the houses. It is said that one of the original Mulberry bushes (favourite food of the silk worm), still remains in one of the gardens.
After this, the town earned its namesake through the first public ham roasting held in 1557, held in honour of the King. This is also the earliest example of the typically Asian cooking pan 'the wok' being seen in Europe.
In the years 1643–44 Wokingham was regularly raided by both sides in the Civil War. These raids would involve the looting of livestock and trading goods, and over thirty buildings were burnt down, accounting for nearly 20% of buildings in the town at that time.[5] It was not until the early 18th century that Wokingham had fully recovered.
Wokingham was once famous for its Bull-Baiting. In 1661 George Staverton left a bequest in his will giving two bulls to be tethered in the Market Place and baited by dogs on St. Thomas' Day (21 December) each year. The bulls were paraded around the town a day or two before the event and then locked in the yard of the original Rose Inn which was situated on the site of the present-day Superdrug store. People travelled from miles around to see the dangerous spectacle. A number of dogs would be maimed or killed during the event and the bulls were eventually destroyed. The meat and leather were distributed amongst the poor people of the town. Some of the spectators also sustained fatal injuries. In 1794 on the morning after the bull-baiting Elizabeth North was found dead and covered with bruises. In 1808, 55-year-old Martha May died after being hurt by fighters in the crowd. The cruel 'sport' was prohibited by the Corporation in 1821 but bulls were still provided at Christmas and the meat distributed to the poor. Bull-baiting was banned by Act of Parliament in 1833.
In 1723, the 'Black Act' was passed in Parliament to make it an offence to black one's face to commit criminal acts. It was named after an infamous band of ruffians, known as the 'Wokingham Blacks', who terrorised the local area until 29 of them were arrested after fighting a pitched battle with Grenadier Guards in Bracknell.
Historically, the local accent could be described as a blend of traditional London Cockney, influenced by aspects of West Country pronunciation. However, the rapid expansion of the town, and subsequent influx of non-locals, has led to a decline of this speech pattern since the 1970s. In the 21st Century, traditional Wokingham accents are becoming rare, particularly amongst young people, who are increasingly influenced by the spread of Multicultural London English.

Governance

Arms of Wokingham town council, as displayed on the entrance of the town hall
Northern Wokingham, centred on Ashridge, was, archaically, a detached part of Wiltshire. This area extended well into the town centre (and the area currently where the Dowlesgreen, Norreys and Bean Oak estates currently are situated) until transferred to Berkshire in 1844. The ancient parish was divided in 1894 into urban and rural civil parishes, Wokingham Without forming the latter.
Wokingham was one of the boroughs left unreformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, and was reformed subsequently in 1883. Wokingham merged with the Wokingham Rural District in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 to form the non-metropolitan district of Wokingham, which has been a unitary authority area since 1998. It consists of 54 elected councillors and is presided over by one councillor who is elected annually to be the chairman of the council. Elections to the council are held in three out of every four years, with the Conservative party having had a majority since the 2002 election.[6] The Borough Council Offices are based at Shute End in the town of Wokingham.
A successor parish continued in existence in Wokingham and is governed by Wokingham Town Council. The council is elected every four years and consists of twenty-five councillors representing Emmbrook, Evendons, Norreys and Wescott, the four wards of the town. Every year, they elect one of their number as mayor. The present town hall was erected in 1860 on the site of the guildhall.
The Wokingham constituency's MP is the Conservative John Redwood, who has represented it since 1987.

Geography

Agates Meadow
Wokingham is on the Emm Brook in the Loddon Valley in central Berkshire situated 33 miles (53.1 km) west of central London. It sits between the larger towns of Reading and Bracknell and was originally in a band of agricultural land on the western edge of Windsor Forest. Suburbs include Emmbrook, Matthewsgreen, Dowlesgreen, Woosehill, Limmerhill and Eastheath. Older names include Woodcray and Luckley Green.
The soil is a rich loam with a subsoil of sand and gravel.
Wokingham currently consists of the town centre, with main residential areas radiating in all directions. These include Woosehill to the west, Emmbrook to the northwest, Dowlesgreen, Norreys, Keephatch and Bean Oak to the east and to the south Wescott and Eastheath.
Much of Wokingham has been developed over the past 80 years. Woosehill and Dowlesgreen were built on farmland in the late 1960s and early '70s, along with Bean Oak. Keephatch was built in the early '90s. The Norreys Estate was built in the 1960s; however, Norreys Avenue is the oldest residential road in that area, having been built in the late 1940s as emergency housing following the Second World War. Norreys Avenue has a horseshoe shape and occupies the site of the demolished Norreys Manor. Much of the road contains 1940s-style prefabricated houses, although there are some brick houses along with three blocks of 1950s police houses.
In 2010, the council set up WEL (Wokingham Enterprise Limited) to manage a £100m regeneration project to redevelop the town centre with new retail, leisure and residential facilities, parking, roads and open spaces.[1]
Several major expansion projects around the town are planned over the next decade, including a major redevelopment of the town centre, new north and south relief roads and at the former military base at nearby Arborfield Garrison. As of 2015, the redevelopment of the railway station and surrounding area is complete, and large scale housing construction is underway to the north-east and south-east of the town.

Transport

Train services to Reading, Richmond, Clapham Junction, London Waterloo, Guildford, Redhill and Gatwick Airport run from Wokingham railway station. There are three level crossings in Wokingham (the Star Lane crossing on Easthampstead Road, the Waterloo crossing on Waterloo Road and the crossing on Barkham Road). These have been scenes of fatalities in 2007, 2008 and 2010, see list of level crossing accidents.
Most local bus services are provided by First Group but the Sunday and bank holiday services from Wokingham to Reading are operated by Courtney Coaches.

Institutions

Charities

  • The Lucas Hospital, almshouses founded in 1663 for sixteen elderly men from the surrounding parishes.
  • Wokingham United Charities providing grants to people living within the Wokingham area relieving poverty, hardship and distress. Also providing sheltered accommodation for local people.
  • The Rotary Club of Wokingham is part of Rotary International. The club members engage in fund raising activities and distribute the money collected to worthy causes both locally and world-wide.

Churches

Wokingham Baptist Church

Manors

  • Evendon's Manor
  • Ashridge Manor (now in Hurst, Berkshire)
  • Beche's Manor (burnt down 1953)
  • Keep Hatch (Built 1871–74, demolished late 1990s due to dereliction to make way for the Keephatch housing estate)
  • Buckhurst Manor (now St. Anne's Manor)
  • Norreys' Manor (demolished long ago, now Norreys Avenue)

Education

Secondary schools

Wokingham is served by four state secondary schools. The Emmbrook School is a mixed-sex comprehensive school, a Maths and Computing College, St Crispin's School is a mixed-sex comprehensive schools, which has specialist status as Maths and Computing Colleges. The Holt School, founded in 1931 in the Dower House of Beche's Manor, is a girls' school and is a specialist Language College and Science College. The Forest School is a boys' school and is a specialist Business and Enterprise College. It is in Winnersh but it shares the same catchment area as the Holt and the majority of the pupils are from Wokingham – a small number of Wokingham pupils gain places at Reading School and Kendrick School, the two single-sex grammar schools in Reading.

Private schools

Primary schools

The University of Reading's main campus at Whiteknights is situated approximately 6 miles (9.5 km) to the northwest of Wokingham.

Literature

In the 18th century, the Ballad of Molly Mogg was written in Wokingham. Molly was the barmaid daughter of the publican of the old Rose Inn (not on the site of the present one). She was well-known to local Binfield man, Alexander Pope, who, during a storm, found himself stranded at the inn with his friends, Gay, Swift and Arbuthnot. They wrote the ballad extolling her virtues to pass the time.
The character of Tom the chimney sweep in Charles Kingsley's classic childhood story The Water Babies was based on the life and times of a Wokingham boy called James Seaward, who was a boy sweep in Victorian times. In his later years Seaward swept the chimneys at Charles Kingsley's home at the Rectory in Eversley, Hampshire. Seaward was elected Alderman of Wokingham from 1909 until his death in 1921. He had 12 children and many of his descendants still live locally. The Water Babies are the subject of Wokingham's first public sculpture, installed in 1999, which graces the upper level entrance to Wokingham Library.

Modern notoriety

In 1984, Mark Tildesley, a seven-year-old schoolboy, disappeared after leaving home to go to the fairground. His body has never been found. The case remains unsolved despite being featured heavily in the national press and on BBC TV's Crimewatch.[7]

Film

The 1971 film Blind Terror, starring Mia Farrow and directed by Brian Clemens, was filmed largely in Wokingham. The railway station can clearly be seen, as can the town centre and the interior of the Old Rose pub. One of the scenes from Series 3, Episode 7 of the ITV drama, Primeval was filmed in the Red Lion pub in the town centre.
One of the Superman Films used the Phoenix Plaza bowling alley in Wokingham for one of its scenes.
The popular TV series The Vicar of Dibley used the Wokingham town hall as a set in one episode.
Soldier Soldier season 7 was filmed at Bearwood College, the college was the scene for the parade ground, officers mess, and a school.[8]

Notable people

Sport and leisure

  • There are public parks at Barkham Road Recreation Ground, Langborough Recreation Ground, Cantley Park, Chestnut Park, Elizabeth Road Recreation Ground, Elms Field, Riverside Walk and Waverley Park.
  • The council provide a number of leisure facilities such as the Carnival Pool, St. Crispin's Sports Centre and the Pinewood Leisure Centre. Pinewood is the base for over 20 clubs and associations. There is a King George V Playing Field behind St. Crispin's in memory of King George V.
  • The local football team is Wokingham and Emmbrook F.C.
  • The Wokingham Half Marathon is held in February each year and starts and finishes at Cantley Park.
  • Wokingham Library is in Denmark Street.
  • Wokingham Cricket Club (founded 1825) played at their ground on Wellington Road before relocating to a new, bigger ground in Sindlesham in 2012.
  • Wokingham Music, Food & Drink Festival is held every year in August. Showcasing local musicians, local food producers and also wines, beers, and ciders from Berkshire and surrounding breweries.[10]
  • Wokingham Open Air Cinema. For its 2nd year there were three films shown the weekend before the Wokingham Festival.
    • 2011 – Toy Story 3
    • 2012 – Friday – Grease, Saturday – Madegascar 2, Sunday – Cool Runnings[11]
    • 2013 - Not Held
    • 2014 - Friday – Bugsy Malone, Saturday – Despicable Me, Sunday – Who Framed Roger Rabbit[12]
Speedway racing was staged at California in Reading. Before then the track, known then as Longmoor was used as a training track. After the war the track featured in the Southern Area League in the 1950s. The team were known as the Poppies. The site of the stadium is now part of a nature reserve but a few remnants of the track remain.

Twin towns

Wokingham is twinned with:

Further reading

  • Goatley, K. Wokingham: The Town of my Life. Reading: Conservatree Print and Design, 2004. ISBN 0-9534735-9-7.
  • The Wokingham Society. Wokingham: A Chronology, 1978.
  • Wyatt, B. Wokingham in Old Photographs. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Budding Books, 1999. ISBN 1-84015-128-5.
  • Harison, J. Living Heritage – 300 years of bells, ringing and bellringers at All Saints Wokingham, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9563740-0-4.
  • Bell, J. "Memories of Wokingham Town Hall 1860 to 1946
  • Bell, J. "Wokingham and the Royal Jubilees"
  • Bell, J. "Former Mayors of Wokingham 1885 to 1946"
  • Bell, J. "Former Mayors of Wokingham 1947 to 1979"
  • Bell, J. "A Stroll Through St. Paul´s Churchyard"
  • Bell, J. "St. Paul´s Wokingham - Early 20th Century Parish Magazine Extracts"
  • Bell, J. "St. Paul´s Parish Wokingham at War 1939-1945"
  • Bell, J. "the Memorials Inside All Saints´ Parish Church"
  • Bell, J. "the Story of H.M.S. Garth"
  • Bell, J. "St. Paul´s Parish Church, Wokingham"
  • Bell, J. "Miss Winifred Spooner, Aviatrix"
  • Bell, J. "Wokingham Remembers the Second world War"
  • Bell, J. "High Stewards of Wokingham"
  • Bell, J. "Five Wokingham Families"
  • Bell, J. "Former Town Clerks of Wokingham"

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