Englefield Meadow

 

The Englefield Meadow lay alongside a branch of the river Kennet close to the village of Theale, an area now mostly consisting of lakes made from restored gravel workings, which together with Hayward’s Farm, created after the final parliamentary enclosure, are now run as a game fishery.

​

Two large blocks of land on the north side, comprising Theale Mead, were meadow used for growing hay. The eastern one was divided into strips but the other is shown as a single enclosure, as is the Ten Acres. While these are shown as being part of the manor of Powlett Wrighte in 1762, at the time of the enclosure of Tilehurst parish in 1817 they are shown as part of that.

 

The other furlongs were divided into strips but The Hides was operated on a different system to all the other fields. Instead of each strip being permanently owned by an individual, the strips in The Hides changed ownership on a rotating basis.