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Woolhampton

Coordinates: 51°23′49″N 1°10′37″W / 51.397°N 1.177°W / 51.397; -1.177
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Woolhampton
Village and civil parish
Woolhampton Swing Bridge
Woolhampton is located in Berkshire
Woolhampton
Woolhampton
Location within Berkshire
Area3.87 km2 (1.49 sq mi)
Population886 (2011 census)[1]
• Density229/km2 (590/sq mi)
OS grid referenceSU5767
Civil parish
  • Woolhampton
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townREADING
Postcode districtRG7
Dialling code0118
PoliceThames Valley
FireRoyal Berkshire
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Berkshire
51°23′49″N 1°10′37″W / 51.397°N 1.177°W / 51.397; -1.177

Woolhampton is a village and civil parish in West Berkshire, England. The village straddles the Bath Road between the towns of Reading, 8 miles (13 km) to the east, and Newbury, 6 miles (10 km) to the west.

Geography

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The village homes are clustered on the northern side of the plain of the River Kennet, with the Berkshire Downs rising through the fields and woods of the village northwards.[2] On the higher land some half mile to the north of the village is the adjacent settlement of Upper Woolhampton, which contains both the parish church and the village school. The A4 forms the main street of the village. An unclassified road runs to the south, towards the village of Brimpton. This crosses the railway line by the station on a level crossing, followed shortly afterwards by a swing bridge across the river and canal which share a common channel at this point. Woolhampton Lock lies just to the west. Two other unclassified roads leave the village to the north, climbing into the Berkshire Downs.[2]

Transport

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Three major transport routes, the Bath Road, the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Reading to Taunton line pass through the village.

Woolhampton is served by Midgham railway station in the village. The railway station was originally known as Woolhampton but, according to local legend, was renamed Midgham railway station, after the village of Midgham, 1 mile (1.6 km) west-north-west, in order to avoid possible confusion with the similarly named Wolverhampton (the Great Western Railway had stations in both places).[3]

Amenities

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Because of its location on the Bath Road, Woolhampton was well known for its coaching inns. Only one of these, the Angel, survives on the main road, after the Falmouth Arms closed in 2014 and was converted to residential property. A second pub, the Rowbarge, is, as its name suggests, situated alongside the Kennet and Avon Canal next to the swing bridge.[4] The war memorial in Woolhampton was designed by Sir Robert Lorimer in 1920.[5] The Woolhampton Reed Bed, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, lies alongside the River Kennet within the parish and to the south east of the village.[6] The dense reed bed, with smaller areas of tall fen and carr wetlands, is notable for its nesting passerine bird populations and for the diversity of insects it supports.[7]

Governance

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The civil parish of Woolhampton also includes the adjacent settlement of Upper Woolhampton and the rural areas to the north, east and south of the village. It has a parish council, and also lies in the West Berkshire unitary authority district and the Newbury parliamentary constituency.[2][8]

Demography

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2011 Published Statistics: Population, home ownership and extracts from Physical Environment, surveyed in 2005[1]
Output area Homes owned outright Owned with a loan Socially rented Privately rented Other Roads Water Domestic gardens Usual residents Overall area
Civil parish 137 125 30 43 18 0.076 km2 0.054 km2 0.173 km2 886 3.87 km2

Nearest places

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Key Statistics: Dwellings; Quick Statistics: Population Density; Physical Environment: Land Use Survey 2005
  2. ^ a b c Ordnance Survey (2006). OS Explorer Map 158 - Newbury & Hungerford. ISBN 0-319-46352-4.
  3. ^ "Basingstoke's Railway History in Maps". Christopher J. Tolley. 2001. Archived from the original on 20 May 2007. Retrieved 13 September 2007.
  4. ^ "The Rowbarge". Food and Drink. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  5. ^ Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Robert Lorimer
  6. ^ Magic Map Application
  7. ^ "Woolhampton Reed Bed" (PDF). English Nature. Retrieved 22 September 2006.
  8. ^ "Woolhampton Parish Council's Web Site". Archived from the original on 6 February 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2007.
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Media related to Woolhampton at Wikimedia Commons