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Arborfield, Berkshire

Historical Description

Arborfield, a village and a parish in Berkshire, on the river Loddon, 4 miles W of Wokingham stations on the L. & S.W.R. and S.E.R. Arborfield Cross, about 1 mile to the SE, has a post, money order, and telegraph office under Reading. Acres in the parish, 1469; population, 248. The manor formerly belonged to the Bullocks, one of whom was "Hugh of the Brazen Band," and the old manor-house, called in "Our Village " the "Old House at Aberleigh," was the death-place, in 1730, of Edward Standen, who is alluded to in the ballad of "Molly Mogg of the Rose." The living is a rectory in the diocese of Oxford; gross yearly value, £302. The old parish church was built in 1256, and its ruins are still to be seen in the grounds of Arborfield Hall. The present church was built in 1863, and is in the Middle Pointed style. Arborfield Hall and Arborfield Grange are chief residences.

Transcribed from The Comprehensive Gazetteer of England & Wales, 1894-5

Administration

The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.

Ancient CountyBerkshire 
Ecclesiastical parishArborfield St. Bartholomew 
HundredSonning 
Poor Law unionWokingham 

Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.


Church Records

The parish register dates from the year 1706.


Churches

Church of England

St. Bartholomew (parish church)

The church of St. Bartholomew is a building of flint and stone in the Early English style, erected in 1863 at a cost of upwards of £4,000, to which the late Sir William Brown bart. of Liverpool, was the principal contributor; it consists of chancel, nave and north porch, western tower and spire containing 6 bells, 5 of which are from the old church: the chancel windows are stained: there are two memorial windows to members of the Towgood family: the church affords 220 sittings. The old church of St. Bartholomew, built in 1256 of chalk and flint, stands in the grounds of Arborfield Hall; it is now in ruins, the roof, considered unsafe, having been taken down in 1863: the piscina, sedilia and credence table, as well as some mural paintings, brasses and monuments, remain; the aisles contain tombs and tablets to members of the Standen and Conroy families.

Congregational

Congregational Chapel

The Congregational chapel was erected in 1899, with seating for 200 persons.


Civil Registration

For general information about Civil Registration (births, marriages and deaths) see the Civil Registration page.

Arborfield was in Wokingham Registration District from 1837 to 1974


Directories & Gazetteers

We have transcribed the entry for Arborfield from the following:


Land and Property

The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for Berkshire is available to browse.


Maps

Online maps of Arborfield are available from a number of sites:


Newspapers and Periodicals

The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following Berkshire papers online:


Visitations Heraldic

The Visitations of Berkshire 1532, 1566, and 1665-6 is available online.

CountyWokingham
RegionSouth East
CountryEngland
Postal districtRG2
Post TownReading

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