Roads in 1761

The Roads in 1761

The roads as they were in 1761 are shown in red on the aerial image below.

The Road to Bradfield…

From Theale the road to Bradfield followed the course of today’s Englefield Road and initially the line of what is now the private drive to Englefield House, although part way along it deviated and ran somewhat to the east of the present drive (where the village then was) before rejoining it just beyond Appleton's Corner. The line of this road is shown in more detail on the aerial image of the new deer park. Just beyond the church it turned sharply to the left and passed through the arch at the back of Englefield House under the Long Gallery - as it still does today but now only into a courtyard. In what is now the garden of Englefield House it took a sharp turn to the right, ran over the top of the hill through the Old Deer Park and down the other side to the bridge over the Bourne. The course of the road can still be seen running along the edge of the Park between high banks, the right hand one being plainly visible in the Park although the left hand one is somewhat hidden in the undergrowth on the other side of a deer fence. Just before the Bourne bridge was a large roundabout with a road leading off it into what was then the common wood of Englefield.

…and Beenham

Immediately after leaving the now garden of Englefield House, a road turned off the Bradfield road and ran across the slope in what is now the new deer park to make a T-junction with Blyth's Hill, continuing on to Beenham. The course of this road can also be made out through the park up to the point where it crosses the modern road over what is now Common Hill. The remainder of this road to Beenham was still in public use up to the 1970s but was closed when gravel was extracted and now continues (though diverted at the Beenham end) only as a public footpath and for farm traffic.

The Tidmarsh Road

Travellers heading from the Bath Road to Tidmarsh, Pangbourne and Oxford had a number of options, all but one of which involved passing through the centre of Englefield. At the far western end, a road branched off the Bath Road at its junction with Lambdens Hill, ran across the common fields of Ufton and Sulhamstead to Sulhamstead Lane, which formed the boundary between the common fields of Sulhamstead and Englefield and has all the appearance of just such a Saxon boundary, and on through the Great Field of Englefield to Parker’s Corner.

At Parker’s Corner the traveller turned left up Blyth's Hill or went straight on across what is now the new deer park, past Cranemoor Pond to Appleton’s Corner and thence along Englefield Street. Just past the Timber Yard the road forked, one way going towards the right and North Street (not on the present alignment but along the back of the houses that are now here) and the other to the left cutting across the fields to Hogmoor where it joined Piper's Lane to cross the river at Hogmoor Bridge. Part way along this road was a a turning that now leads to Bradfield but then ran only as far as the chalkpit.

Further to the east along the Bath Road, the traveller could take Sulhamstead Lane or after that Green Lane, both running through Englefield. The only route that did not go through the village was Deadman's Lane, through North Street and along Piper's Lane.

It is possible that the road from Hogmoor to the junction of Ridgeway Lane and Sulhamsted Lane was part of the old Roman road from Dorchester to Silchester and that at the junction it continued on the same alignment to cross the Bath Road at Jack's Booth and continue on through Sulhamstead, Ufton Nervet and Mortimer West End to its destination. The stretch of road between Sulhamstead Lane and Parker's Corner is called Ridgeway Lane on the enclosure plan of 1829 and on Ballard's map of 1762 appears merely sketched-in by comparison with the other roads. A similar plan of the common fields from about 1690 has it apparently added in red ink. It may be conjectured that the whole length between Parker's Corner and the Bath Road was ploughed-out when the common fields of Englefield and Sulhamstead were created after the Romans left and that the length called Ridgeway Lane was reinstated in the late 17th or early 18th century to connect Parker's corner with the Bath Road. The name Ridgeway Lane comes, no doubt, because it ran across the ridge and furrow of the common fields. The part shown as Sulhamstead Lane is called that in 1829 but is called by its modern name of Bostock Lane on the earlier plan of 1690.

Roads

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The Roads in 1761

The roads as they were in 1761 are shown in red on the aerial image below.

The Road to Bradfield…

From Theale the road to Bradfield followed the course of today’s Englefield Road and initially the line of what is now the private drive to Englefield House, although part way along it deviated and ran somewhat to the east of the present drive (where the village then was) before rejoining it just beyond Appleton's Corner. The line of this road is shown in more detail on the aerial image of the new deer park. Just beyond the church it turned sharply to the left and passed through the arch at the back of Englefield House under the Long Gallery - as it still does today but now only into a courtyard. In what is now the garden of Englefield House it took a sharp turn to the right, ran over the top of the hill through the Old Deer Park and down the other side to the bridge over the Bourne. The course of the road can still be seen running along the edge of the Park between high banks, the right hand one being plainly visible in the Park although the left hand one is somewhat hidden in the undergrowth on the other side of a deer fence. Just before the Bourne bridge was a large roundabout with a road leading off it into what was then the common wood of Englefield.

…and Beenham

Immediately after leaving the now garden of Englefield House, a road turned off the Bradfield road and ran across the slope in what is now the new deer park to make a T-junction with Blyth's Hill, continuing on to Beenham. The course of this road can also be made out through the park up to the point where it crosses the modern road over what is now Common Hill. The remainder of this road to Beenham was still in public use up to the 1970s but was closed when gravel was extracted and now continues (though diverted at the Beenham end) only as a public footpath and for farm traffic.

The Tidmarsh Road

Travellers heading from the Bath Road to Tidmarsh, Pangbourne and Oxford had a number of options, all but one of which involved passing through the centre of Englefield. At the far western end, a road branched off the Bath Road at its junction with Lambdens Hill, ran across the common fields of Ufton and Sulhamstead to Sulhamstead Lane, which formed the boundary between the common fields of Sulhamstead and Englefield and has all the appearance of just such a Saxon boundary, and on through the Great Field of Englefield to Parker’s Corner.

At Parker’s Corner the traveller turned left up Blyth's Hill or went straight on across what is now the new deer park, past Cranemoor Pond to Appleton’s Corner and thence along Englefield Street. Just past the Timber Yard the road forked, one way going towards the right and North Street (not on the present alignment but along the back of the houses that are now here) and the other to the left cutting across the fields to Hogmoor where it joined Piper's Lane to cross the river at Hogmoor Bridge. Part way along this road was a a turning that now leads to Bradfield but then ran only as far as the chalkpit.

Further to the east along the Bath Road, the traveller could take Sulhamstead Lane or after that Green Lane, both running through Englefield. The only route that did not go through the village was Deadman's Lane, through North Street and along Piper's Lane.

It is possible that the road from Hogmoor to the junction of Ridgeway Lane and Sulhamsted Lane was part of the old Roman road from Dorchester to Silchester and that at the junction it continued on the same alignment to cross the Bath Road at Jack's Booth and continue on through Sulhamstead, Ufton Nervet and Mortimer West End to its destination. The stretch of road between Sulhamstead Lane and Parker's Corner is called Ridgeway Lane on the enclosure plan of 1829 and on Ballard's map of 1762 appears merely sketched-in by comparison with the other roads. A similar plan of the common fields from about 1690 has it apparently added in red ink. It may be conjectured that the whole length between Parker's Corner and the Bath Road was ploughed-out when the common fields of Englefield and Sulhamstead were created after the Romans left and that the length called Ridgeway Lane was reinstated in the late 17th or early 18th century to connect Parker's corner with the Bath Road. The name Ridgeway Lane comes, no doubt, because it ran across the ridge and furrow of the common fields. The part shown as Sulhamstead Lane is called that in 1829 but is called by its modern name of Bostock Lane on the earlier plan of 1690.