Pangbourne Turnpike

The Pangbourne Turnpike

In 1771 the Trust that operated the turnpike between Reading and Newbury (the Bath Road) proposed a new turnpike from that road to Pangbourne. The turnpike route ran "...through Englefield Common Field to or near a house in Englefield Street known by sign of The Daggers and thence along Englefield Street into the Highway leading out of Englefield Street through Tidmarsh by and through a place called Hog Moore...". This involved construction of a new length of road (shown in yellow) from the south end of Sulhamstead Lane at its junction with the Bath Road and running between a gravel pit and the edge of Bostock Field and joining into Green Lane east of Cranemoor Lake. This length of road may well have been the original Bostock Lane.

Powlett Wright, who was a Trustee of the turnpike and after the agreement of 1774 owned the land in the Great Field over which the new road ran, gave his consent and allowed the builders to take materials for the road from his land without charge. He did however make two conditions.

The first was that "...a highway leading out of the SW side of Englefield Street on NW side of Blacksmith Shop and from thence to NW side of Cranmore Pond to a gate leading into common field shall be shut up." This was the road that ran in front of Englefield House from Appleton’s Corner to Parker’s Corner, although it remains to this day as a gravel track. The second condition was that there should be no toll gate between the southern end of Bostock Lane and Chalkpit.

As well as the road between Appleton's Corner and Parker's Corner, Green Lane between the new turnpike and the Bath Road was also closed.

Thomas Pride's map of 1790 shows the new road but also seems to indicate that not only has the road across the Park been closed but also Ridgeway Lane and the road up Blyth’s Hill (Common Hill). This is not thought to have been that case, however.

Roads

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The Pangbourne Turnpike

In 1771 the Trust that operated the turnpike between Reading and Newbury (the Bath Road) proposed a new turnpike from that road to Pangbourne. The turnpike route ran "...through Englefield Common Field to or near a house in Englefield Street known by sign of The Daggers and thence along Englefield Street into the Highway leading out of Englefield Street through Tidmarsh by and through a place called Hog Moore...". This involved construction of a new length of road (shown in yellow) from the south end of Sulhamstead Lane at its junction with the Bath Road and running between a gravel pit and the edge of Bostock Field and joining into Green Lane east of Cranemoor Lake. This length of road may well have been the original Bostock Lane.

Powlett Wright, who was a Trustee of the turnpike and after the agreement of 1774 owned the land in the Great Field over which the new road ran, gave his consent and allowed the builders to take materials for the road from his land without charge. He did however make two conditions.

The first was that "...a highway leading out of the SW side of Englefield Street on NW side of Blacksmith Shop and from thence to NW side of Cranmore Pond to a gate leading into common field shall be shut up." This was the road that ran in front of Englefield House from Appleton’s Corner to Parker’s Corner, although it remains to this day as a gravel track. The second condition was that there should be no toll gate between the southern end of Bostock Lane and Chalkpit.

As well as the road between Appleton's Corner and Parker's Corner, Green Lane between the new turnpike and the Bath Road was also closed.

Thomas Pride's map of 1790 shows the new road but also seems to indicate that not only has the road across the Park been closed but also Ridgeway Lane and the road up Blyth’s Hill (Common Hill). This is not thought to have been that case, however.