Project Purley

The Local History Society for Purley on Thames

A tour of Purley Village Street

N2102 4/7/19

Introduction

Travelling from Reading to Pangbourne one had the choice of taking the High Road or the Village Street at Purley. The High Road or Turnpike (now the A329) followed the contours whereas the Village Street descended to almost the valley bottom. This ancient road through the village left the main road just past the Roebuck and descended a muddy hill, crossing the village stream and then the village green to the junction serving the manor house and the church and then it swung away westwards to the village pond. Then it followed roughly the present line of Purley Village continuing straight past Purley Lodge and joining Westbury Lane just south of where Glebe Road now joins it. It is convenient to consider it in three parts:

Eastern:- the section from the Roebuck to the Pond

Central:- from the pond to Purley Lodge, now known as Purley Village

Western:- the section from Purley Lodge to Westbury Lane.

The eastern section was closed off around 1800 when the land east of New Hill was emparked after the mansion was built on top of the hill. The western section was closed off after being severed by the railway and the construction of the Purley Rise Estate.

The route is shown on several ancient maps .

We will follow the route from Roebuck to Westbury Lane and provide links to some of the features and buildings en route where you can find more information.

The Eastern Section

The road left the highway just past the Roebuck and a small field known as Little Warren. the land on the west side was known as Long Warren and presumably this was where the estate protected its rabbits.

The road then wound its way through woodland down a very steep slope known as Hanging on the Hill. At the bottom was a very muddy stretch which contained the village stream as it flowed from pond to Thames. It is believed there was a small wooden bridge over the stream which led to the Village Green. Crossing this one reached a three way junction, one track led to the manor house built in 1718 to replace the Tudor Manor House , one to the Church and then taking you westward, the Village Street following roughly the line of the present Oak Tree Walk.

Walking westward from the junction on your right was a field called Churchams with two cottages in its south eastern corner fronting on the Street. Opposite was a field known as Dung Croft with a single cottage on your left. Marsh Lane came off from the right leading to the lock . Then a small field called Wheathams. There was a cottage on your right opposite the one on Dung Croft followed by a small strip of glebe land and then another cottage in the south eastern corner of a field called Powys Piddle which presumably belonged to Purley Parva . There may have been other cottages belonging to Purley Parva but these are not shown on the 1786 estate map of Purley Magna . Then there was waste land on the right before reaching the Village Pond. Opposite was a property which in 1786 belong to Dr Monckton who practised in Pangbourne but seemed to offer free care to people of Purley including giving them innoculation against smallpox. His land was split in two when New Hill was constructed around 1800.

This eastern link from the pond to the Roebuck was closed off as part of the construction of the Purley Park estate around 1800 although it was replaced by Church Walk which followed the line of the present St Mary's Avenue to provide access to the Church; but this was strictly controlled with iron gates at the west end which were opened to the parishioners only on Sundays and some feast days. New Hill was constructed for the use of the public as an alternative. Part of the old route was left as access to the new mansion .

The railway put paid to it finally in 1837. When it came the route was severed with a tunnel built beneath. Steps were constructed to enable people to gain access from the tunnel to the main house to allow the owners of Purley Park Mansion to walk to the church and their estate north of the railway. There were two routes; one down a steep metal staircase for the men and a second which wound around a deep pit with a gentle slope for the ladies. At the centre of the pit was a decorative fountain. There are still traces of the old road alongside the railway. in the grounds of Purley Park.

The Central Section

The road has been known variously as ‘The Street’ or ‘The Village Street’ and, until the Silver Jubilee in 1977, there were no street name plates. Pressure from local inhabitants however caused the Parish Council to agree that the official name was ‘Purley Village’ and the District Council erected name plates at either end.

Starting on the left hand side there was New Hill, next the old Home Farm with farmhouse and barns. It had been intended to build the farm for the Purley Magna Estate off the old track around where Oak Tree Walk now is but after the flooding of 1795 it was moved up to Belleisle on the south side of the Highway where the Sherwoods presided. Presumably the Storers of Purley Park wanted a more local farm. When Home Farm was moved to its present site the old site was cleared and developed as Farm Close.

Next came the Old Rectory . There had been a rectory since at least the 14th century but in 1724 it was reported as being out of repair and demolished, being replaced by a new one in 1728. This was sold to the Lister family in 1926 and a new rectory built on Glebe land roughly where Westridge Avenue and Alison Close are today. The old rectory was sold to the County Council for use as an old folks home but it was sadly neglected and when the roof collapsed it was demolished and replaced by Lister Close.

Next comes Hemmington . This was a cottage built to house the school teacher, then split into two and later rejoined as one residence. There had been a school for village children since at least 1818 but in 1870 the rector Richard Palmer had a new Church of England Primary School built. This has gone through many phases and thrives today.

Finally on the left were two adjoining cottages known as Corner Cottages. These were replaced by two detached modern houses known as Letgable and Stargable.

Coming back to the pond we have Mapledurham Drive leading to the lock. replacing Marsh Lane. Then the pond of which nothing remains except a few willow trees. Then we have Pond Field used mainly for grazing by Home Farm but also as a site for dumping dredgings when Thames Conservancy deepened the Thames for navigation. At the western end is the road to the new Home Farm with two additional cottages Villageside and Farmside.

Continuing on the right is Ivy Cottage . This used to be two farmworkers cottages but now is a single residence. Now there are two modern houses and which replaced three thatched cottages. Then we have The Cottage , again formerly two cottages owned by Purley Parva. Next a modern house The Mimosas replacing another thatched cottage. Then Jasmine Cottages . Still two separate residences and listed and coming with a a long history especially related to the English Civil War.

Finally comes Purley Lodge Cottage which provided a home for servants of Purley Lodge.

Now to your left is Purley Lane and to your right is the start of Bridleway 3.

The Western Section

Originally the Village Street continued on and ran almost straight towards Pangbourne joining Westbury Lane just before its junction with the highway. After Purley Lodge was built in the 1700’s the road was diverted around their kitchen garden in a sweep to the north, along the line of the present Bridleway 3.

When the railway came in 1837-1840 a bridge (Purvey’s Bridge) was constructed to carry the road over the railway both to enable cattle to cross from the new farm house at Belleisle Farm to the meadows to the north. and to allow traffic along the street. When the Purley Rise Estate was built in the 1920s and 30s the westerly end was replaced by Glebe Road on a slightly more northerly alignment.

Some people continued to walk across the patch of land which was then Purvey’s Yard to follow the ancient route but many seemed to find it more convenient to walk up to the main road along what became known as Purvey’s Lane and the old route to Westbury Lane was abandoned. However when the Ordnance Survey was plotting footpaths in 1933 there was much local dispute as to whether or not rights of way still existed. It was finally resolved by an enquiry that they didn’t but the matter raised its head once again when the Memorial Hall was being built and people claimed the right to walk from the village and gain access to the Hall site from the bridge. The trustees settled the matter by building a large fence and the old route has now been quietly forgotten.

Purley Lodge is now on your left. This replaced an ancient house used as a rest house for the monks of Reading Abbey. At the dissolution the land was sold to Irish nobility and lived in by the Boyles. The old house was replaced by the present building in the 1700s when sold to the Liebenroods . It was split into two with the main house retaining the name Purley Lodge and the former servants quarters becoming. The Barn and Coach House were rebuilt as houses and three new modern houses built in the grounds of the former orchard and kitchen garden.

Following the bridleway past Purley Lodge Cottage there were at one time large black barns in the field to the north and then you turn westwards with first a small woodland and then an open field belonging to Home Farm on your right. On your left is a small triangular field with the Purley allotments to your right as you come to the bridge built in 1835 to cross the Great Western Railway. This bridge carried a 600mm railway leading from quarries by the river to bring gravel to the highway, It operated in the 1920s from Purvey's Yard with horses rather than locomotives.

The old track turned westward beyond the bridge but the first part has been developed as Winston Way and then it crossed the grounds of the Memorial Hall to reach Glebe Road built as part of the 1930s development of Purley Rise. The track went diagonally across the present development to join Westbury Lane about twenty yards before it joined the Highway. At the very end to your left would have been Purley's windmill . To your right along most of this stretch would have been Purley's Common field.

And finally a link to Jean Debney's version in her From My History Notebook article 29




Back to top »