Ilsley, East (482). A small town in the chalk district two and a
half miles from Compton station with a large sheep market. The Duke
of Cumberland, uncle of George III, had a house and training stables
here, and it is now a great place for training horses. The church is
mainly Early English. (pp. 80, 118.)
Inkpen (658). A village four miles south-east of Hungerford. To the
south of the village there is a range of chalk hills, the highest
of which is Inkpen Beacon, 975 feet above the sea. Walbury Camp is
a large earthwork on the same range a little to the east, with an
altitude of 959 feet. (p. 12.)
Kintbury (1548). A large village with a railway station nearly
midway between Newbury and Hungerford. It is on the river
Kennet. Brick-making is carried on in the neighbourhood and there
is a whitening factory. The church is largely Norman with an Early
English tower. (pp. 60, 61.)
Lambourn (1476). A small town in the midst of the chalk district with
a light railway to Newbury (12 miles). It is an important centre for
training race-horses. The river Lambourn is a good trout stream. There
is an old market cross. The large church is cruciform with a
central tower which is Norman in character with small round-headed
windows. Much of the church is Transition Norman. The east window is
of the Perpendicular period. (pp. 85, 143.)
Lockinge, East (301). A village two miles south-east of Wantage. The
church, mainly of the Decorated style but with a good Norman doorway,
has been recently enlarged. Lockinge House stands in a beautiful park
close to the village. (p. 91.)
Maidenhead (10,757). A municipal borough and market-town on the Thames
with a railway station 24-1/2 miles from Paddington. The borough is
partly in Bray and partly in Cookham parish. There are grain mills
and breweries, and some trade in timber is carried on. (pp. 12, 17,
20, 75, 90, 114, 119, 120, 123, 138.)
Marcham (798). A village two and a half miles west of Abingdon with
many stone quarries in the neighbourhood. (pp. 34, 89.)
Mortimer. See Stratfield Mortimer.
Newbury (8924). A municipal borough and market-town with a railway
station on the Great Western 53 miles from Paddington, and also
with railways to Didcot, Southampton, and Lambourn. The borough
was incorporated by charter of Elizabeth. The chief trade is in
agricultural produce. There are maltings and corn mills. The town has
large new municipal buildings, a free library, a district hospital,
and a large grammar school as well as many charities. A race-course has
recently been made a little to the east of the town with a separate
railway station. (pp. 17, 22, 59, 70, 76, 79, 86, 89, 101, 111, 115,
119, 128, 129, 137, 145.)
Pangbourne (1235). A village with a railway station 41-1/2 miles
from Paddington, situated at the junction of the river Pang with the
Thames. (pp. 10, 21, 85.)
Radley (444). A village with a railway station 58 miles from
Paddington. Radley College, a large public school, is situated a mile
to the west of the village. (pp. 133, 138.)
Reading (52,660). A county, municipal, and parliamentary borough,
and the county town of Berkshire. It is a most important railway
centre 36 miles from Paddington and is served by the South Western
and South Eastern as well as by the Great Western railways. It has,
in fact, excellent railway communication with every part of England
and Wales. The charter of incorporation was granted by Henry III.
Reading is situated on the river Kennet close to its junction with
the Thames. There are large municipal buildings with a free library
and an excellent museum, a county hospital, a university college, a
grammar school, and many other schools and charitable institutions. The
Berkshire County Hall and the Assize Courts are at Reading and are
close to the old gateway of Reading Abbey. The few remains of the
abbey are now the property of the Corporation and are laid out as
gardens adjoining the public Forbury garden. The railway works are
extensive and there are iron foundries, engine and agricultural
implement works, cycle works, electric-light works, printing works,
a very large establishment for making biscuits, and also one for the
production and sale of seeds. There are also flour mills, breweries,
brick and tile works, steam launch and boat-building yards, and
establishments for making ropes and sacks. St Mary's church is said to
have been built of materials from the ruins of the abbey. The walls
are largely of a chequer pattern of dressed flints and squares of
freestone. (pp. 6, 19, 22, 36, 54, 58, 62, 64-84, 89, 90, 99, 103,
104, 108, 125-133, 140, 144.)
Sandhurst (2386). A village on the river Blackwater four and a half
miles south-east of Wokingham with a railway station on the South
Eastern and Chatham railway. The Royal Military College is two miles
south-east of the village near Blackwater station. (pp. 130, 132.)
Shefford, Great or West Shefford (422). A village between Lambourn
and Newbury. The church has been already mentioned. (p. 117.)
Shinfield (1015). A large village three miles south of Reading.
Shottesbrook. A park four miles south-west of Maidenhead. The beautiful
church has been already mentioned. (pp. 63, 108.)
Shrivenham (951). A village with a railway station on the Great Western
71-1/2 miles from Paddington, near the border of Wiltshire. It gives
its name to the Hundred. (pp. 72, 138, 143.)
Sonning (526). A very attractive village on the Thames two and a half
miles below Reading, the parish is partly in Oxfordshire. In the
tenth and eleventh centuries there was a Bishop of Berks and Wilts
and the palace was at this place. The church is large with Early
English arches and many monuments.
Sparsholt (646). A village three and a quarter miles west of
Wantage. There is a fine church in the Decorated style. (p. 99.)
Stanford in the Vale (853). A village nearly four miles south-east of
Faringdon. The church, in mixed styles, is interesting. The tower is
Early English, there is a squint from the north aisle to the altar,
and a very curious piscina with a reliquary above it.
Steventon (797). A village with railway station on the Great Western
three and a half miles south-south-west of Abingdon. There is a raised
flood-path by the road through the village, a number of old houses,
and a church in mixed styles with a south aisle and tower arches of
the Decorated period. (pp. 101 108, 117.)
Stratfield Mortimer (1405). A village and residential district with
a railway station named Mortimer on the Reading and Basingstoke line,
the nearest station to the Roman town of Silchester in Hampshire.
Streatley (562). A village on the Thames opposite Goring in
Oxfordshire, with which it is connected by a bridge. This is a
very old crossing place and the Ridgeway is directed towards this
point. (pp. 19, 90, 118.)
Sunningdale (1409), five miles south of Windsor, with a station on the
London and South Western, was until recently a district of heath and
pine woods, but it is being rapidly built over and good golf links
attract many visitors. (p. 86.)
Sunninghill (2479). A village and residential district close to the
above. Two chalybeate springs, Sunninghill Wells, were a fashionable
resort in the eighteenth century. (pp. 106, 118, 135.)
Sunningwell (289). A village two miles north of Abingdon. Bishop Jewel
was vicar and is said to have built the singular octagonal porch at
the west end of the church.
Sutton Courtney (1295). A village on the Thames two miles south of
Abingdon. The abbey, the manor house, and the manor farm were buildings
connected with Abingdon Abbey, and are all of interest, dating from
the twelfth to the thirteenth century. In the church the chancel arch
and walls are Transition Norman, the tower arch is Norman. (p. 114.)
Swallowfield (1375). A village on the river Blackwater five miles
south of Reading. The church has a wooden bell-cot with very fine
old timber work. A Bible of 1613 is preserved in the church and Miss
Mitford's grave is in the churchyard. (p. 144.)
Thatcham (2177). A large village three miles east of Newbury which
was once a small town with a market. There is some good Norman work
in the church.