You are here:
Pingewood
Pingewood maps
Historic maps of Pingewood and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Pingewood maps
Pingewood photos
We have no photos of Pingewood, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Reading| Burghfield Common| Tilehurst| Theale| Stratfield Mortimer| Earley| Caversham| Mortimer Common| Purley On Thames| Englefield| Mapledurham| Sonning| Winnersh| Pangbourne| Bradfield| Silchester| Marsh Lock| Twyford| Eversley| Basildon| Tadley| Shiplake| Wargrave
Pingewood area books
Displaying 1 of 12 books about Pingewood and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Pingewood
No memories of Pingewood have been shared yet - be the first!
Add your memory of Pingewood
or of a photo of Pingewood.
Berkshire memories
The Lane Pauline Johnson
I used to walk to Blands School through the lane with my friend Jean Brookes, we would often stop outside the Clark's (Terry) house and climb up the bank where we could see Jean's house across the field. Then we would continue past the West's house (Peter). We were often late for school as you can imagine! The headteacher at Blands school was Mr Halfpenny, one of the teachers was Miss Tanner, a road leading of off Hollybush Lane was named after her. I remember Dauntless well, my mum worked there for a while in the 1960s, a few of the local lads got married to Wrens. I lived on Clayhill Road and my friend lived in the Close.
Memories of The Lane
I remember the Lane so well. Pauline Johnson and myself used to use it on a daily basis to go to school. We used to dawdle and chat and skip and tease the boys, Terry Clark and Alan Berry being two of the names that come to mind. We used to love the little stream that ran along the bottom and often stopped to look at the brown pebbles and the endless amount of frog spawn. I wonder, is that steam still there ? My friend Pauline and I must take a walk along there soon to check !
Burghfield Village
I think it was 1950, when my late wife and I were courting and trying to find a home we could afford. We chanced to hear of the condemned Village School and the adjoing Hall, which the Church Commissioners wanted to sell for site value. We saw the place one lovely evening, walking across the Green with the church bells ringing. Although we were given the key to the enormous front door, it was unnecessary as the place was a wreck. The thatched roof had virtually disintegrated. The only service was a standpipe in the hedge! But we thought we could save it. The Bradfield District Council were most helpful, but we had to prepare plans for the conversion. Our parents helped us to pay for these, but they thought we were mad! We bought it and saved it from demolition. I started a Youth Club in the adjoining Hall and one of the children we have kept in touch with, eventually took Holy Orders. He is also... Read more
Blands School
I remember Mr Halpenny and Miss Tanner at Blands School, it didn't seem strange at the time to have some small change as teachers. Miss Tanner had apple trees and she always left a box outside her gate for us to have on the way to schoool or take home.
Rose Lawn Burghfield Rectory
Met my future wife, Janet, whose parents lived on the caravan site behind Rose Lawn ran by Rev Nicholson. I was a biker, Janet's parents disapproved of motorbikes, so whilst courting I used to bring her home at night & park at the Hatch Gate pub at the bottom of the hill & walk her home up to the caravan site. We married 1966 at Burghfield Church. Moved into a caravan on the site - no bathroom, a toilet that had to be emptied every week, in a shed next to the caravan & a cess pit dug in the garden for drainage. Had to move away in 1968 when we started a family, but a happy start & still together. Often visit Burghfield as Jan's mum still lives Burghfield Common - doesn't change much.
My Time at Rapleys, Grazeley Green.
I was born and spent my early childhood at Rapleys, Grazeley Green. My father's farm, James Farm, was at the far end of the Green in James Lane. We had a herd around 120 friesians for milking as well as arable and woodland. My mother had a smaller farm at Goddards Green which had about 60 milking Jersey cows and a bull. My memories are a bit hazy but in those days I used to cycle to Burghfield or Mortimer to visit friends. It was much safer for children to cycle miles on the road then as there was much less traffic. I do remember the 10-ton trucks that used to hurtle by from the gravel pits. They were on piecework so speed limits went out of the window. There was the Old Bell pub run by Mr Gissing. I was much too young to know anything about pubs then; but it was the nearest neighbouring property. The cottages the length of the green were mostly occupied by... Read more
Thames-Side Miniature Railway
The Thames-side Miniature Railway opened in about 1946 and closed in 1954. The station, which had a single platform, stood at the Caversham end of the line. To the east of the station was the engine shed and, beyond that, a turntable. At the western end of the railway was another turntable and a passing loop that enabled the locomotive, once turned, to return to the front of the train. The railway was single-track throughout, and it ran for about half a mile to just short of Cow Lane.
The maroon locomotive was named 'Western Queen' and, if I remember correctly, had a 4-6-2 wheel arrangement. One memorable feature, was the very penetrating chime whistle which could be heard a considerable distance away.
