Kelly's Berkshire Directory, 1848

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BERKSHIRE, sometimes called Ba.rkshire, and, for short- Hundreds (at Dumesd 1y sur.-ey twenty-two), They are
ness, Berks or Bark!!, is a southern inland shire, on the Barnesh, in the east; Bray, in the east; Compton, in the
south or left bank of the navigable Thames, which fo>rm'i its midland; Charlton, iu the south; Cook ham, in the south­northern
boundmark, and in the valley of which it lies, eagt; Fll.ircross, in the midland (formerly Thatcham);
approaching within twenty mile3 of London, and in the Faringdon, in the north-weat; Ganfield, in the north- west;
middle between the mouth of the Thames at the North Hormer, formerly Hornimere, in the north; Lambourn, in
Sea and the Bristol channel. The shire ii! of very irregular the we9t; Kentbury Eagle, in the south-west midland
shape, with its greatest length of 43 mile!'! from ea~t to west, (formerly Kennetbury an1l Eglev); Moreton (formerly
and with its greatest breadth of 30 milt>s from north to Bluebury), in the north-east i Ock, in the north.east;
south at the western end. The Thames divide;~ it on the Reading, in tl1e nortb-eao;t; Riplesmere, in the east;
north from Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, on the south- Shrivenha.m, in the north-we>t; Sunning, in the east;
east it is bounded by Surrey, on the south by Hampshire, Tteale, in the north-eaqt; Wantag-e, in the midland; War­and
on the west by Wiltshire. The areai3 752 square miles, grave, in the east. The number of parishes is between
or 481 ,~80 acres; and the population, in 18:31, 145,339, and 140 and 150, some being partly out of the ~hire. Berkshire
in 18U, 155,983. The southern part of the shire ri~es to is in the Oxford circuit, and sends three Member3 to Parlia­the
chalk range, but in the west tl1e oolite begins. The ment. Abingdon is the noraination town for Members of
~reat chalk range runs through the middle of the west, to Parliament. The shire towns are Reading for the spring
the south of Wallingt'ord, and joins the Chiltern hills and assize~, and Abingdon f.Jr the summer. The other market
Marlborough down~;~. The Berkshire downs rise at White towns-Faringdon, Hungerford, Ea~t Ilsley, Lambourn,
Horse hill to 893 feet high. The soil varies from chalk to Maidenhead, Newbury, Reading, Wallingford, Wantage,
rich marls, part of the shire being in sheep downs, but the Windsor, and Wokingham. Heading and Windsor are
greatl:'r part i~ rich ground on the rivers. There is much boroughs, returning two memher.> eacl1; Abingdon and
woodl:md, in which grow hazel, oak, ash, beech, and alder. Wallingford, boroughs, returning- one member each. The
There are now no ~reat forests. The main river is the chief towns are Reading and Windsor, which are consi­Th{
lrnes, on the north, which bears large craft throughout derable places, with good public building~. The other towns
its length to London and the sea, and by canal openg the are places of fair size and population.
way to Wiltshir«>, Bristol, Glouce~tershire, Oxford, Bir- Berkshire seems, like most of the southern shires. to have
min~ham, the Midland counties, and the north. From the come into the posses~ion of the Belgians before the Roman
winding ofthe Thames it has a waterway between Lechlade period, by the expul~ion of the Welsh or Celts. Julius
and Windsor of 110 miles, and pas~e~ Oxford, Ahingdon, C.esar found t11e country in the power of the Atribates,
Wallingl"ord, Henley, l\Iarlow, Maidenhead, nnd Windsor. though perhaps the Bibroci and SPgontiaci llad also settle­Among
it~ fish are trout, barbel, pike, eels, carp, tench, ments within its bounds. Berkshire }lad several Roman
chub, roach, dace, crayfish, &c. Between the chalk downs town;~, stations, and roads. Spinre (Speen, near N ewbury)
in the west and the Thames runs its feeder, a small river is the only well-known station. There are camps and walls
2U miles long-, called the Ock, falling into the Thame~ at of various age~ at Wallingford,-Uffingtofl Castle, on the top
Ahingdon. The Rennet is the chief rivt>r of South Berks. of White Horse hill: Saghury castle, on Letcombe downs;
It rises in Wiltshire, passes by Hungerf. .. rd, Avington, Kent- Hard well cAmp, near Uffington; Cherbury camp, near Far­bury
(Kennetbury), Newbury, where the Lam bourn falls ringdon; Cresar's camp, on Bagshot heath; Ashbury camp
in. Thence it proceeds to Reading, receiving the Em borne or Alfred's castle, near Lambourn; and al;;o camps on Sino­or
Am burn by the way. The Rennet is navigahle for abi)Ut dun hill and Bad bury bill. l\Jany of the hills ha'"e burrows
20 milPs from Newbury to Reading; it has some fine trout in them, and some seem to l1ave cromlechs. On the chalk
and other fish. The Loddon rises in Hampshire, and runs hills, near Lambom'•l, are some remarkable piles of large
through East Berks into the Thames, below Rt>ading. Besides stones, one of wl1ich is called Way land Smith's cave, but
the navigation of the Tlmmes and the Kennet, thP. shire which some maintain to be habitations {)ftl:e ancient Welsh.
is crossed hy two canals, the Wilts and Berks iu the north, At Kingston Lisle, near Lam bourn, is a curious stone, ca11ed
proceeding from Abingdon by Wantage, into Wilts, where it a blowing stone, bored, and on blowing iuto which a sound
joins Kennet and Avon canal, near l\lelksham; the Kennet is given forth, which can be heard six miles off. The Eng­and
Avon canal runs 1hr.mg-h South :Berks from Newbury, by lish held Berkshire as part of the kingdom of Wessex, but
Hungertord into Wilts, and thence by Devizes to Bath, and it was sometime'! under the Mid-English. The White Horse,
so by the Avon to Bristol. Berk!lhire is 11ow well supplied which is the figure of a horoe cut out of the turf on the side
with railway communication. The chief rail \V ay is the of the chalk hills and left white, is by ID()St thought to have
Grl:'at Western, which comes in at Maidenhead and pro- been done by the old English. It may be ~een fifteen miles
ceeds by Twyford to Realling, which is a head station; thence hence; it gives name to the bill in which it is cut. Berk­by
Pan~bourne, Steventon, and so near Wantage And shire was attacked by the Danes, with whom several battles
Faringdon to Swindon. A branch is open from D1dcot by were fought, one a very famous one at Ashdown, in which
Abingdon to Oxford. From Maidenhead a branch pro- Ethelred and Alfred the Great beat the Danes. The battle
ceeds to High Wycombe; from Twyford to Henley; from of Ethandane, in which Alfred defeated the Dane~, is also
Reading to Guildford, Reigate and Dover; from Reading thought by many to l1ave been fougllt in Berkshire.
to Easingstoke ou the south-western; from Reading to During the middle ageg freqnent forage took place in this
Hungerford. Thus Berks lms railway communication with shire, but of its many castles few remain; Windsor is in the
every part of the country. Berkshire is a healthy country, best order. OfWa'lingford and Donnington there are remain~.
with a good soil, though the hills run into chalk. The vale At Abingdon and Reading were large Benedictine estab•
of the Thames has very rich ground, particularly meadow, lishments, of whlch the Abbots were mitred and richly
and so have tho~e ot the White Horse and the 1\ennett. endowed. Of these fine buildings there are now few remains.
Very much corn is produced, as also dairy produce and There are relics of the Grey Friary at Reading, and of the
shet>p. The orclmrds and woods are productive. The manu- Benedictine Monastery at H nr!ey. A vington ii a very
factnres are not of importance- some silk, mats, sacking ancient chnreh, said to be old English or N OI'man; there are
and sailcloth; though Reading, Nt:wbury and Ahing•lou also specimens of N1•rman in St. Nicholas' l!hurcl1,
used io be greatclothing towns. The produce of Berkshi1·e Abinguon, and in Wilford church. In the parliamentary
is lime, coarse stone for building, brick-earth, corn, bean!', war" most oft he Ba·kslJirc towns were the scenes of conflict,
apples, cherries, onions, aspamgu~, timber, hoops, broom- Two great battles\\ ere fought at N ewbur.v in Hlt3 and 16H;
8ticks, osil:'l'f!, cart-hor8es, calves, butter, pigs, sheeep, wool, Read in~ was be,ieged a nu taken; Abingdon, Windsor
trout and otht.>r fish, &c. Tbe shire is divide~! into tn·enty Ca<>tle and Donningtou attackPd.
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