Caversham Heights

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Caversham Heights
Albert Road, Caversham Heights - geograph.org.uk - 616930.jpg
Albert Road
OS grid reference SU7075
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town READING
Postcode district RG4
Dialling code 0118
Police Thames Valley
Fire Royal Berkshire
Ambulance South Central
UK Parliament
Website https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/616930
List of places
UK
England
Berkshire

Caversham Heights is a residential area within Caversham in the borough of Reading in Berkshire, England, located to the east of the centre of Caversham. Until 1911, Caversham was part of Oxfordshire, and it remains a part of the historic county. The name Caversham Heights traditionally refers to that part of Caversham situated on higher ground to the west of central Caversham, straddling the Woodcote Road (A4074). [1] Since 2022, Caversham Heights has also been the name of a local government ward that extends to the Thames in the south, and across Hemdean Bottom to St. Barnabas Road in the east.

Contents

House prices in Caversham Heights are among the highest in Reading and Caversham Heights itself is one of the most expensive places to live in Reading. According to 2020 ONS data, Caversham Heights is Reading's most affluent neighbourhood.

Geomorphology and archaeology

Its altitude is around 60 metres above sea level, the land falling away to the east into the dry glacial overflow channel of Hemdean or Bug's Bottom. Its soil is composed of a Hill Gravel cap on top of Cretaceous Upper Chalk. [2] Around 1900, some 600-700 Paleolithic hand-axes made of flint were dug up in a gravel pit at Toot's Farm on Darell Road, which has since been built over. [3] [4] This farm also possessed a notable mediaeval timber-framed barn, but this was demolished. [5] [6] Older houses betray this geology through their brick and flint construction.

History

St Anne's Well Holy Well of Saint Anne, Caversham, UK - 20150711-02.jpg
St Anne's Well

Although finds on Chazey Road and Conisboro Avenue hint at human habitation dating back to pre-history, Caversham Heights expanded slowly and only really experienced significant growth beginning in the Victorian era, as such most of the homes are late 19th and 20th-century. The main arteries are Woodcote Road to the West and Kidmore Road to the East. Between these, in the 1930s an apple orchard was felled and built upon to become the Woodcote Way, Geoffreyson Road and Shepherds Lane area and in the 1960s a nearby gravel quarry was redeveloped to become what is now Silverthorne Drive, Queensborough Drive and Carlton Road.

Caversham Heights is home to St. Anne's Well on Priest hill, once a popular destination for pilgrims and sicklings since Anglo-Saxon times. First mentioned in the Cartulary of Nutley Abbey in 1106, it was lost during the Dissolution of the Monasteries or shortly thereafter until being rediscovered by workmen in 1906.

Demography

Caversham Heights makes up makes up about one-third of Caversham as a whole, and comprises most of the RG4 7 postcode sector. Until the reorganisation of 2022, it fell mostly within the Mapledurham ward of Reading Borough, with the eastern edge being within the old Thames ward. Mapledurham ward had an area of 1.49 square kilometres and had a very low population density - at 2,020 people per square kilometre, only 2% of that of Reading overall. In 2018, 3,010 people lived in the ward, with 18.3% of these being children aged 0–15 and 25.4% older than 65, and 11.3% being non-white. They lived in 1,244 dwellings, of which 66% were detached. It was the least deprived ward in Reading, with only 2.3% of children being at risk of living in poverty and 2.9% of the working age population claiming benefits. 66.4% of people between 16 and 74 years were in employment, of whom 67% were in managerial/professional/technical occupations and 33% in professional occupations. [7]

Amenities

The area is served by Reading Transport circular bus service 22 to Reading Station, and by the X39 and X40 from Reading to Oxford and the 146 to Cray's Pond.

Educational provision is limited to a nursery school, Caversham Heights Pre-School, with primary school pupils going to Caversham Primary School, which is rated ‘outstanding’, in Hemdean Road to the East.

St Andrew's Church of England church, built in 1910, is on Albert Road. Caversham Heights Methodist Church stands on Highmoor Road. It hosts the meetings of the Caversham Heights Society which holds lectures on historical and cultural topics and makes visits to sites of interest.

There are two recreation grounds in Caversham Heights:

Two golf courses and a health club with swimming pool lie just outside Caversham Heights in neighbouring South Oxfordshire. Caversham Lawn Tennis Club, formed in the early 1900s, can be found on Queensborough Drive.

Caversham Heights only has one public house, for many decades named the Grosvenor but, after refurbishment in 2017, now known as the Caversham Rose, on Kidmore Road. Two roadside pubs on the A4074 also serve the area: the Pack Saddle, in Mapledurham 250 metres north of the Royal County of Berkshire boundary, and the Pack Horse in Chazey Heath, 1.5 kilometres further northwest.

The area has two convenience stores, Conisboro Stores, which is also a post office, and Woodcote Way News.

Its telephone numbers followed the format "0734 47####" until 1995, then "01734 47####" until 1998, and since then "0118 947 ####".

Governance

From 2022, a new Caversham Heights ward was created, with its boundaries extending beyond the area that traditionally carries the name. In the first local elections under the new boundaries, the three seats were divided between two Conservative councillors and one Labour. The election was closely contested: each of the nine candidates gained between 741 and 1629 votes. [8]

As a unitary authority, the borough of Reading is responsible for all aspects of local government within the area.

The area is within the Reading East parliamentary constituency, which in recent years has alternately chosen Conservative and Labour MPs. As of 2020 it is represented by Matt Rodda (Labour) with a 10.6% majority. Prior to 1 February 2020 it was in the South East England European constituency. [9]

Fiction

A fictionalised Caversham Heights is the central theme of the book The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde.

Notable residents

Rudolph Walker - EastEnders character Patrick Trueman.

Tracy Shaw - Coronation Street character Maxine Peacock.

In the first half of the 20th century, the Aga Khan owned a residence on Richmond Road, as well as stables nearby in Oxfordshire.

Alma Cogan, the "Girl with the Giggle in Her Voice", lived on Geoffreyson Road whilst attending St Joseph's Convent School in Reading.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caversham, Reading</span> Village and suburb of Reading in Berkshire, England

Caversham is a village in the borough of Reading, in the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England, located directly north of Reading town centre across the River Thames. Caversham rises from the River Thames, lying on flood plain and the lowest reaches of the Chiltern Hills. Two road bridges, including Caversham Bridge, and two footbridges join Caversham to the rest of Reading. Named areas within the village include Emmer Green, Lower Caversham, Caversham Heights and Caversham Park Village. Notable landmarks include Caversham Court, a public park and former country house; Caversham Lakes; and part of the Thames Path national trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading East (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1983 onwards

Reading East is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Matt Rodda, of the Labour Party. The seat is one of two Labour seats from a total of eight seats in Berkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henley (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885 onwards

Henley is a constituency in Oxfordshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2008 by John Howell, a Member of Parliament from the Conservative Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmer Green</span> Human settlement in England

Emmer Green is the northernmost suburb of Reading in Berkshire, England, centred around 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the town centre. Having most of its own commerce, sport and other amenities, Emmer Green has an arbitrary divide with larger Caversham and a border with Oxfordshire, the county in which both places formerly stood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mapledurham</span> Human settlement in England

Mapledurham is a small village, civil parish and country estate beside the River Thames in southern Oxfordshire, England. The large parish borders Caversham, the most affluent major district of Reading, Berkshire. Historic buildings in the area include the Church of England parish church of St. Margaret, Mapledurham Watermill and Mapledurham House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lower Caversham</span> Human settlement in England

Lower Caversham is an area of the village of Caversham, in the county of Berkshire, England. It forms part of Reading. Lower Caversham has no formal boundaries, but the name usually refers to that part of Caversham situated on lower ground to the east of central Caversham, close to the River Thames.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trench Green</span> Human settlement in England

Trench Green is a hamlet in Oxfordshire about 1 mile (1.6 km) northeast of the village of Mapledurham and about 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Reading in neighbouring Berkshire. It is situated on the rural road from Caversham to Goring Heath and Goring-on-Thames, at its junction with the access lane to Mapledurham village. For local government purposes Trench Green is in Mapledurham civil parish, which forms part of the district of South Oxfordshire within the county of Oxfordshire. It is within the Henley constituency of the United Kingdom Parliament. Prior to Brexit in 2020, the village was represented by the South East England constituency in the European Parliament. Although barely more than a few houses around the road junction, Trench Green does contain a former school, which is now a house, and the parish's parish hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A4074 road</span> Road in England linking Reading and Oxford

The A4074 is a British A road from the Reading suburb of Caversham to the Heyford Hill roundabout on the Oxford Ring Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kidmore End</span> Human settlement in England

Kidmore End is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, centred 6 miles (10 km) NNW of Reading, Berkshire, an important regional centre of commerce, research and engineering. It is in the low Chiltern Hills, partly in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The A4074 from Reading towards Oxford passes through the west of the parish and it is located 6 miles from Henley on Thames.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chazey Heath</span> Human settlement in England

Chazey Heath is a hamlet in Oxfordshire, England, about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Reading, Berkshire. It is situated on the A4074 road, between Caversham and Oxford, at its junction with the rural road to Goring Heath and Goring-on-Thames. For local government purposes Chazey Heath is in Mapledurham civil parish, which forms part of the district of South Oxfordshire within the county of Oxfordshire. It is within the Henley constituency of the United Kingdom Parliament. Prior to Brexit in 2020, it was represented by the South East England constituency for the European Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Reading, Berkshire</span>

Reading's location in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line and the M4 motorway, some 40 miles (64 km) west of London has made the town an important location in the nation's transport system.

Battle is an electoral ward of the Borough of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It is situated to the west of the town centre, south of the River Thames, and is bordered by Kentwood, Caversham Heights, Thames, Abbey, Coley, Southcote and Norcot wards.

Caversham is an electoral ward of the Borough of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It is to the north of the town centre, in the suburb of Caversham to the north of the River Thames, and is bordered by Thames, Peppard and Abbey wards.

Mapledurham was an electoral ward of the Borough of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire, which was abolished in the boundary changes prior to the 2022 Reading Borough Council election. The ward's area was joined with part of that of the former Thames ward to form the new Caversham Heights ward.

Thames was an electoral ward of the Borough of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire, until it was abolished in the boundary changes prior to the 2022 Reading Borough Council election. It should not be confused with the ward of the same name that was created by those boundary changes, but which has no area in common with this former ward.

Reading Borough Council is the council for the unitary authority of Reading in Berkshire, England. Until 1 April 1998 it was a non-metropolitan district. Since the last boundary changes in 2022 the council has comprised 48 councillors representing 16 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council being elected each time for a four-year term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chazey Court Barn</span> Barn

Chazey Court Barn is a 17th-century Grade I listed building in the town of Reading in England. It forms part of the Chazey Court Farm complex and is situated close to the Thames at the western end of The Warren in the suburb of Caversham.

The 1976 Reading Borough Council election was held on 6 May 1976, at the same time as other local elections across England and Wales. All 46 seats on Reading Borough Council were up for election. The council remained under no overall control, but with the Conservatives becoming the largest party. The Conservative group leader, Deryck Morton, subsequently took the council's most senior political job as chairman of the policy committee, leading a Conservative minority administration.

Thames is an electoral ward of the Borough of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It includes areas on both sides of both the River Thames and the River Kennet, to the north and east of the centre of Reading on the south bank, and to the east of the centre of Caversham on the north bank. It should not be confused with the ward of the same name that existed prior to the 2022 Reading Borough Council election, with which it has no area in common.

Caversham Heights is an electoral ward of the Borough of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. The ward was created by a boundary reorganisation prior to the 2022 Reading Borough Council election, and has replaced the Mapledurham ward, with the addition of parts of the old Thames and Peppard wards. During the reorganisation process, the ward was known as The Heights, but the name was subsequent changed as a result of public consultation.

References

  1. ↑ Ordnance Survey (2006). OS Explorer Map 159 - Reading. ISBN   0-319-23730-3.
  2. ↑ Griffiths, James S. (2001). Land Surface Evaluation for Engineering Practice. ISBN   9781862390843.
  3. ↑ Arkell, W. J. (1945). "Geology and Prehistory from the Train, Oxford-Paddington" (PDF). Oxoniensia. 10: 1–15. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  4. ↑ http://www.confound.me.uk/reading_forum/old_caversham.pdf Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine [ bare URL PDF ]
  5. ↑ "Exterior view of a barn at Toots Farm, Caversham, before demolition (RBO01/03/OP11752) Archive Item - Early Photographic Print Collection | Historic England".
  6. ↑ https://www.cadra.org.uk/uploads/wysiwyg_editor/files/Newsletters/Anniversary-issue-Autumn-2017.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  7. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ↑ "Reading Borough Council elections 2022 results in full". Reading Chronicle. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  9. ↑ "RBC Wards 2004 A4" (PDF). Reading Borough Council. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2008.
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