The River Thames near Sonning.

Sonning (occasionally called Sonning-on-Thames) is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire, a few miles east of Reading. A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a Town or City. A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Berkshire (ˈbɑːkʃə or /ˈbɑːkʃɪə/ say Baak-shuh/-sheer sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a Home County in the South Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between The village is situated on the River Thames and was described by Jerome K. Jerome in his book Three Men in a Boat as "the most fairy-like little nook on the whole river". The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. Jerome Klapka Jerome ( May 2, 1859 – June 14, 1927) was an English writer and Humorist, best known for the humorous travelogue Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog, published in 1889 is a humorous account by Jerome K

Geography

The parish of Sonning originally included Charvil, Woodley and Earley and, before 1866, was a cross-county-boundary parish containing Sonning Eye, Dunsden Green and Playhatch in Oxfordshire as well. Charvil is a Village in Berkshire, England a few miles east of Reading on the A4 road to Maidenhead, between Sonning and Woodley is a Town in the English county of Berkshire. It forms part of the urban area of Reading, although not part of the Borough of Reading Earley is a Town in Berkshire, England with a population of around 30000 people Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Sonning Eye is a hamlet on the Oxfordshire side of the River Thames, opposite the Village of Sonning in England and Dunsden Green (also known as Dunsden) is a village in the English county of Oxfordshire. Playhatch (also known as Play Hatch) is a small village in the English county of Oxfordshire. History See also History of Oxfordshire The county of Oxfordshire was formed in the early years of the 10th century and is broadly situated in the It is now much smaller and triangular shaped. The north-western boundary is formed by the River Thames before passing through the middle of the Thames Valley Business Park. The southern border follows the railway line. The north-eastern boundary travels over Charvil Hill and follows the edge of the housing at Charvil itself until it reaches the confluence of St Patrick's Stream with the Thames, near St Patrick's Bridge. The northern corner of the parish consists of very low-lying land adjoining the River. The Sonning Golf Course sits in the south-east corner, with Holme Park, Sonning Hill and the business park in the south-west, and the village roughly in the middle. Holme Park is a sports ground in Sonning (occasionally called Sonning-on-Thames a Village and Civil parish in the English county of

Sonning village is at grid reference SU757755, at a crossing point of the River Thames, where the narrow arched Sonning Bridge on the B478 crosses the river to the hamlet of Sonning Eye on the Oxfordshire bank. The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. Sonning Bridge is a road bridge across the River Thames at Sonning, Berkshire. Just upstream of the bridge is Sonning Lock. Sonning Lock is a lock and associated Weir situated on the River Thames at the village of Sonning near Reading, Berkshire The old village is now joined to further housing along Pound Lane and the A4 Bath Road. It lies some three miles east of the major town of Reading. Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between In other directions this would put it within the Reading suburban sprawl, but Sonning remains a clearly delineated small village.

Transport

See also Sonning Lock

The main road through Sonning is the B478, running from the Bridge to the Charvil roundabout on the A4. Sonning Lock is a lock and associated Weir situated on the River Thames at the village of Sonning near Reading, Berkshire The B4446 runs north from the A4 to the village. The A4 itself passes through the south of the parish, as does the main Reading to Paddington railway line, though there is no station. London Paddington station, also known as London Paddington, or just simply Paddington, is a major National Rail and London Underground station On the Thames, there are moorings at Sonning, both above and below the lock, as well as in the weir stream.

Local government

Sonning is a civil parish with an elected parish council of eight councillors. A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. It falls within the area of the unitary authority of Wokingham. See also Independent city A unitary authority is a type of Local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all Local government functions Both the parish council and the unitary authority are responsible for different aspects of local government.

Twinning

Sonning is twinned with Ligugé, France. Ligugé is a commune in the département of Vienne, France on the River Clain, 8km south of Poitiers This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The village has an active Twinning Association and the lane to the village primary school is called Ligugé Way.

History

Print of Sonning Bridge (1799) with the tower of St Andrew's Church, Sonning, in the background.

The historical name of the village is Sunning, derived from the name of the Saxon Sunna. Older, more traditional villagers still pronounce the name of the village in this way and the spelling can be found on old maps and documents. In Saxon times, the village was of considerable importance as the lesser centre of the bishopric of Ramsbury, sometimes called the see of Ramsbury and Sonning. The History of Anglo-Saxon England covers the history of Early medieval England from the end of Roman Britain and the establishment of Anglo-Saxon This page refers to holders of the Saxon bishopric See Bishop of Ramsbury (Anglican for the modern suffragan bishop This page refers to holders of the Saxon bishopric See Bishop of Ramsbury (Anglican for the modern suffragan bishop The church was a secondary cathedral and the present structure contains re-used Saxon carvings. For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south

Sonning prospered as an important stopping post for travellers, both by road and by boat. There were a number of ancient hostelries where they could have stayed, notably the Great House on the site of the original ferryman's cottage. The Great House at Sonning is a Hotel and Restaurant with a riverside garden on the Thames near Sonning Bridge at Sonning, Berkshire The Bull Inn had the added bonus of being near the church where pilgrims could worship a relic of Saint Cyriacus. The Bull Inn in Sonning is an historic Public house &ndash now also a Restaurant and Hotel &ndash in the High Street in centre of the village A pilgrim is one who undertakes a Pilgrimage, literally 'far afield' A relic is an object or a personal item of religious significance carefully preserved with an air of Veneration as a tangible memorial Saint Cyriacus or Saint Cyriac is a Christian Martyr who was killed in the persecution of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. The Bishops of Salisbury succeeded those of Ramsbury and Sonning and had a Bishop's Palace in the village until the 16th century. The Bishop of Salisbury is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury. Sonning Bishop's Palace was a former episcopal palace at Sonning, near Reading, Berkshire, England. King Richard II's young bride, Queen Isabella of Valois, was kept captive there during his imprisonment and deposition. Richard II (6 January 1367 &ndash ca 14 February 1400 was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399 Isabella of Valois ( 9 November, 1389 – 13 September, 1409) was a Princess of France, daughter of King Charles VI

The Great Western Railway passes about half a mile south of the village, in a two mile long cutting, Sonning Cutting. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West Sonning Cutting is on the original Great Western Railway built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It was opened in 1840, and was the scene of one of the first railway disasters in 1841, when a goods train ran into a landslip. The Sonning Cutting railway accident occurred in the early hours on December 24, 1841 in the Sonning Cutting, near Reading Berkshire, Nine passengers died in the accident, being thrown from the open trucks just behind the engine. Many were stone masons working on the Houses of Parliament, and the disaster led to changes in the Railways Act, which required that third-class passengers be carried in stoutly constructed carriages rather than open trucks. The Act also created Parliamentary trains for third-class passengers.

Just outside the village, above the lock, is the independent secondary school, Reading Blue Coat School, in the 19th century manor house, Holme Park. Sonning Lock is a lock and associated Weir situated on the River Thames at the village of Sonning near Reading, Berkshire Reading Blue Coat School is a boys' Secondary school in Holme Park at Sonning in the English county of Berkshire, which includes a A manor house or fortified manor-house is a Country house, which has historically formed the administrative centre of a manor (see Manorialism Built in the 'Home Park' of the old palace, it replaced a georgian mansion erected for the Lords of the Manor who eventually superseded the bishops. Georgian architecture is the name given in most English -speaking countries to the set of Architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840 A mansion is a large dwelling House. The word itself derives (through Old French) from the Latin word mansus (the perfect passive participle The title of Lord of the Manor arose in the English mediaeval system of Manorialism following the Norman Conquest. The first of these was Laurence Halstead, partner to the great Reading cloth merchant, John Kendrick. Cloth merchant is strictly speaking like a Draper, the term for any vendor of cloth John Kendrick (1573 &ndash 30 December 1624 was a prosperous English Cloth merchant and patron of the Towns of Reading and Newbury In the early 20th century, a second country house was built in the village, the Deanery. The English country house is generally accepted as a large House or Mansion, once in the ownership of an individual who also usually owned another Great The Deanery (or Deanery Garden) is a house designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in Sonning, Berkshire, England, between 1899 and 1901 in It provides a fine example of an Edwin Lutyens house with a Gertrude Jekyll garden, originally designed as a show house for the founder of Country Life magazine. Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM, KCIE, PRA, FRIBA, LLD ( 29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944 Gertrude Jekyll ( November 29, 1843 – December 8, 1932) (surname pronounced /ˈdʒiˌkəl/) was an influential British garden Country Life is a British weekly Magazine. It covers the pleasures and joys of Rural life as well as the concerns of rural people

Notable village residents

The grave of Edmund John Phipps-Hornby in the churchyard.

The grave of Llewellyn Alberic Emilius Price-Davies in the churchyard. Llewelyn Alberic Emilius Price-Davies VC CB CMG DSO ( 30 June 1878 – 26 December 1965) was

Notable former and current village inhabitants include:

• The Bishops of Ramsbury & Sonning, including SS Oda the Severe and Bertwald of Ramsbury
• The Bishops of Salisbury
• General Eisenhower, before D-Day
• Anthony Farindon, 17th century Royalist preacher
• Isabella of Valois, Queen of Richard II of England
• Uri Geller, the illusionist
• Laurence Halstead, 17th century cloth merchant and partner of philanthropist, John Kendrick
• William Holman Hunt, the Pre-Raphaelite artist, in his later life at The Acre
• Ric Lee, drummer for the 1970s group Ten Years After
• Jon Lord, composer and founder member of the 1970s group Deep Purple ^[1]
• Right Honourable Theresa May, the local MP
• Jimmy Page, lead guitarist of the rock group Led Zeppelin ^[2]
• Sir Terence Rattigan, dramatist, briefly at The Red House during 1945–47 — there is a blue plaque
• Sir Thomas Rich, 17th century merchant, money-lender to the King and benefactor to both Sonning and Gloucester. This page refers to holders of the Saxon bishopric See Bishop of Ramsbury (Anglican for the modern suffragan bishop Saint Oda or Odo, called the Good or the Severe (d 958 was a 10th-century Archbishop of Canterbury in England Saint Bertwald of Ramsbury (otherwise Britwold of Glastonbury and sometimes Beorhtwald) was an 11th century Bishop of Ramsbury. The Bishop of Salisbury is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury. Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14 1890 – March 28 1969 was President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 and a five-star general D-Day may also refer to Decimal Day in the United Kingdom. D-Day is a term often used in Military parlance to denote Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I during the English Civil War ( 1642 &ndash 1651 Isabella of Valois ( 9 November, 1389 – 13 September, 1409) was a Princess of France, daughter of King Charles VI Uri Geller (אורי גלר born György Gellér ( Hungarian name December 20, 1946) is an Israeli British performer John Kendrick (1573 &ndash 30 December 1624 was a prosperous English Cloth merchant and patron of the Towns of Reading and Newbury William Holman Hunt (b 2 April 1827 in Cheapside, London &ndash d The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (also known as the Pre-Raphaelites) was a group of English painters Poets, and critics founded in 1848 by Ric Lee (born Richard Lee, 20 October 1945 Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England) was the Drummer of the British late 1960s This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. Ten Years After are an English Blues rock band, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s Jon Douglas Lord (born in Leicester on June 9, 1941) is an English composer Hammond organ and Piano player Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertfordshire in 1968 Theresa Mary May (born in Eastbourne, Sussex, England, on 1 October 1956 as Theresa Mary Brasier) is a British A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. James Patrick Page, OBE (born 9 January 1944 is an English Guitarist, Composer and record producer Led Zeppelin were Sir Terence Mervyn Rattigan ( June 10 1911 – November 30 1977) was one of England 's most popular 20th century Dramatists In the United Kingdom, a blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event Gloucester (ˈɡlɒstɚ) is a city, district and County town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England.
• Dick Turpin, reputedly, at his aunt's house, now called Turpins
• Admiral Villeneuve, subsequent to his defeat at the Battle of Trafalgar
• Robert Wright, 17th century Bishop of Lichfield & Coventry & Vicar of Sonning

The following recipients of the Victoria Cross are buried in the churchyard of St Andrew's Church:

• Edmund John Phipps-Hornby
• Llewellyn Alberic Emilius Price-Davies

Sport and leisure

Sonning has a King George's Field in memorial to King George V, where Sonning Cricket Club plays. For other meanings see Dick Turpin (disambiguation. Richard (Dick Turpin ( September 21, 1705 in Hempstead Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve ( 31 December 1763 &ndash 22 April 1806) was a French naval officer during the The Battle of Trafalgar ( 21 October 1805) was a historic sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the Robert Wright is the name of Bob Wright (baseball (1891 early 20th century baseball pitcher Bobby Wright (1934 African-American The Bishop of Lichfield is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lichfield in the Province of Canterbury. See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since Llewelyn Alberic Emilius Price-Davies VC CB CMG DSO ( 30 June 1878 – 26 December 1965) was There are playing fields between Sonning and the main A4 road, including hockey and rugby fields. Hockey is any of a family of Sports in which two teams compete by trying to maneuver a Ball, or a hard round rubber or heavy plastic disc called a puck Rugby football (usually just " rugby " may refer to a number of sports through history descended from a common form of Football developed at Rugby School

Sonning Hockey Club, Reading Hockey Club, Reading R.F.C., and Berkshire Shire Hall R.F.C. can all be found on Sonning Lane. Reading Hockey Club is a Field hockey club based in the English town of Reading. Reading RFC are an English Rugby union club who play in South West Division 1 and are based in the village of Sonning, on the outskirts of Berkshire Shire Hall RFC are an English Rugby union club who play in the Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 South league and are based in the village of Sonning Hockey Club was the first club in the county of Berkshire to be awarded Club 1st National Hockey Accreditation for junior coaching and development. Sonning Hockey Club also has squash courts and tennis courts. Squash is a racquet sport that was formerly called squash racquets, a reference to the "squashable" soft ball used in the game (compared with the A tennis court is where the game of Tennis is played It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center

Redingensians R.F.C. is nearby, off the Old Bath Road. Redingensians RFC is an English Rugby Union club The club is near the village of Sonning on the outskirts of Reading in the county of Sonning Golf Club is on the other side of the A4 road.

Sonning Regatta restarted in 2000 and is held every two years just upstream from Sonning Lock. Sonning Regatta is the regatta of Sonning in Berkshire and Sonning Eye in Oxfordshire, England. Sonning Lock is a lock and associated Weir situated on the River Thames at the village of Sonning near Reading, Berkshire There is sailing and waterskiing on the Caversham Lakes across the river and the Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake has recently be created there as well. Sailing is the art of controlling a Sailing vessel. By changing the Rigging, Rudder and dagger or centre board a Sailor manages the force Water skiing is a Sport where an individual (or more than one individual is pulled behind a Motor boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water wearing Caversham Lakes is a set of lakes created through Gravel extraction between the suburb of Caversham in Reading Berkshire and the hamlet of Sonning The Redgrave-Pinsent Rowing Lake is a rowing Lake in the United Kingdom, named after the Olympic Rowers Sir Steve Redgrave

Sonning Parish Magazine, established in 1869, serves Sonning and the neighbouring village of Charvil, and the Sonning Village Show is held every September at the village primary school. Year 1869 ( MDCCCLXIX) is a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

See also

• Railway accident at Sonning Cutting
• Sonning Cutting

External links

• Sonning-on-Thames
• Sonning and Sonning Eye Community website
• Sonning & Sonning Eye Society
• Royal Berkshire History: Sonning
• Sonning Golf Club
• Sonning Hockey Club
• The Mill at Sonning
• Sonning Cricket Club
• Berkshire Shire Hall R.F.C.

References

• Angel Perkins, The Book of Sonning, Barracuda Books, 1977. The Sonning Cutting railway accident occurred in the early hours on December 24, 1841 in the Sonning Cutting, near Reading Berkshire, Sonning Cutting is on the original Great Western Railway built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. ISBN 0-86023-051-1. 2nd edition, Baron Buckingham, 1999. ISBN 0-86023-051-1.
• Jonathan Bowen, Sonning-on-Wikipedia, Sonning Parish Magazine, page 26, October 2006. Jonathan P Bowen FBCS FRSA (born 1956 is a British computer scientist