History of Charvil

The Twyford & Ruscombe Local History Society has published two booklets, written by Bill Crane, entitled "A Walk around Charvil" and "Dick Righton recalls Sandford & East Park Farms".

Shown below are some extracts from the Walk around Charvil, supported by matarial from the last Charvil village survey which took place in 1992.

We know that people were living in the Charvil area at least 2,000 years before the birth of Christ. Archaeologists refer to the gravel terraces at the confluence of the Thames and Loddon as being rich with sites of prehistoric date, particularly Neolithic and bronze age. Several prehistoric religious, funerary and settlement monuments are known around Charvil.

Those communities were basically primitive farmers, and agriculture remained the predominant occupation until early in the 20th century. In 1900 there were only 20 houses in the village. Even the introduction of the Great Western Railway between 1836 and 1838 had little impact on Charvil, although it clearly influenced the growth of Twyford and Reading.

In medieval times the area formed part of the possessions of the Bishops of Sarum in the Manor of Sonning in the Hundred of Charlton, until the powerful bishops decided to make their own Hundred in the 13th century. It has been suggested that there may have been a connection between the naming of Charvil and the original Hundred in which it was placed and it is interesting to note that Charlton was believed to have been derived from the Old English CEORLDUN - the hill of the peasant. Several other theories have been put forward over the years as to the origin of its name. Some believe that In earlier times Charvil could have been called Charlvil - the Old French "ville" often being used to describe a farm or country house. Another suggestion has been that it is derived from CHOERI - VIL, a settlement of the churls or villeins - the semi-free peasants of the Manorial system.

Although it has not been possible to establish a more precise meaning, it is perhaps worth noting that CHAR may have referred to the charcoal burners who were reputed to have lived in the Charvil Farm area many years ago. Frank Hawkes'' map of 1821 certainly shows the area as CHARFIELD, with Charvil Hill (now The Hawthorns estate, off Park Lane) as being called UPPER CHARFIELD, but old Ordnance Survey maps give a spelling closer to that of the present day. In the 18th century it was spelt CHARVEL and over the years it appears to have varied for, as recently as the 1950s, to many residents it was CHARVILLE and the local press frequently made reference to Charville Farm. The four old farm cottages on the Old Bath Road, near Edward Road, were also given that spelling for their postal address at that time.

Before the main A4 was built in 1928 the Old Bath Road, and old coaching road, was part of the main route from London to Bath and the West Country.  A toll-gate - Twyford Gate, set up in 1736 by the Maidenhead Turnpike Trust - was located near the old Charvil Farm entrance.  Maps of 1912 show that Charvil Farm had two exits onto the Old Bath Road, on either side of the toll-gate.

Two or three water pumps were located by the roadside in the turnpike area and these were used by the tenants of the old cottages nearby and, of course, by the many horse-drawn coaches passing through the gate. In later years they were also used by steam engines and for keeping the dusty dirt road well watered during the summer months. The old iron water pump at the entrance to Park Lane is said to have been installed in 1754, and was one of a series placed along the southside of the coaching road. This pump was renovated in the 1970s by Roland Hearn, charirman of the Charvil Parish Council at the time, and is now maintained by the Parish Council.

There were originally seven cottages in the area of the toll-gate according to the 1912 Ordnance Survey map, three of them located at the edge of the road, presumably where the actual gate was sited. By 1930 only four of these remained. Now numbered 105, 107, 117 and 119, they are believed to be over 200 years old and thought to have been built originally for farm workers at Charvil Farm. It is known that they definitely in existence before 1820. In the 1930s they were known as 1 - 4 Charville Cottages.

By 1925 there were about 20 houses in the whole of the village and it was about this time that the Sonning Land Company started building large houses on one acre plots, as part of a planned Charvil Garden Village. By 1932 there were about 100 houses in the village. The Sonning Land Company failed, although some of the participants survived to contribute to the growth of the village subsequent to the opening of the A4 London to Bath Road in 1928. Then, as now, it was road construction which triggered growth - slow at first but increasing steadily from 1930 until 1960, when there were then approximately 270 houses in the village.

Charvil as we know it today is very much the product of the motorway age. Good communications by road and rail to London and Heathrow, an attractive environment and the growth of high technology industries in the Thames Valley have been the main factors in attracting housing development to this part of the county. Charvil is typical of many similar settlements in Central Berkshire where, because of the lack of Green Belt policies or Outstanding Natural Beauty designation which has protected land to the east and west of the county, the burden of growth has fallen. Since 1960 the population has grown dramatically and there are now around 1,100 dwellings and 2,500 people in the parish.

The source of growth in the village since 1960 has been mainly due to three major developments, namely 191 houses built by Royco Homes south of the Old Bath Road after an appeal in 1970, the 120 Hicks houses in The Hawthorns, to the west of Park Lane allocated in the Central Berkshire Structure Plan, and most recently, around 220 homes on the East Park Farm site. Since 1960 there have also been a number of smaller developments due to the normal planning policies of infilling, rounding off and redevelopment. These include Strathmore Drive, Kilowna Close, the newer parts of Milestone Crescent and St. Patrick''s Avenue, Gingells Farm Road and Foxes Walk. A large number of individual sites have also been redeveloped throughout the village. As a result of the recent increase in stamp duty, there has been a significant increase in the number of loft conversions and house extensions. These improvements also tend to increase household size, thereby adding to the population.

Growth therefore is a major concern for all residents who live in Charvil and has been for many years. It has brought excessive traffic to our community. It has taken years of intensive community pressure to bring about significant improvements to the A4, including the Wee Waif roundabout and the pedestrian crossing. The overall effect has been to take away many of the green fields, destroy good grade agricultural land and totally change the character of this once rural community.

At the same time, it has provided homes for many of us attracted by the environment and the economic buoyancy of the area. It has brought a varied and able community, many of whom play a full part in the social and civic life of the village. It has given us a sense of identity and it was growth, or the threat of growth, that gave us the impetus to seek more control over our own affairs.

In 1965 Charvil was part of the urban parish of Woodley and Sandford. Alarmed by the prospect of take-over by Reading Borough Council, who at the time were seeking to extend their boundaries to take in the communities of Woodley and Earley, residents took action. Charvil Residents Association was formed in 1965 with its main aim that of securing separate Parish status for Charvil. 95% of parishioners were members of this active and well-organised body and by 1970 it had achieved its goal and Charvil became an independent parish.

Charvil Parish Council was formed in April 1970 and now controls that part of Community Charge allocated for parish responsibilities. Parish councillors represent the views and concerns of parishioners to Wokingham District Council, Thames Valley Police and other statutory bodies. They work in cooperation with the District Council on many important matters, and are consulted about major planning matters and comment on planning applications. They are unpaid and sometimes unappreciated yet they put in a huge amount of effort on our behalf.

The Parish Council started with seven councillors in 1970, eventually increasing to 10 because of the burgeoning population. There have been 7 different chairmen and a total of 50 councillors.

The Parish Council has consistently supported attempts to control the extent and pace of development. When it has been inevitable, they have helped secure the best possible benefits for the community. The Hicks housing developer''s contribution of two acres of land and £80,000 towards the Parish Council''s fund for the village hall, and a large play area. The Bryant development on the Charvil Farm site eventually brought into public ownership 21 acres of open space adjacent to the River Loddon, now known as Charvil Meadows.

The development plan system, as it evolved over recent years based on Structure Plans prepared by the County Council and Local Plans prepared by the District Council, now means the infrastructure contributions can be required when significant development takes place. This can provide for highway improvement, open space provision, public buildings and a wide variety of other benefits.