Woodley, Berkshire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Woodley |
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 Woodley Shopping Centre (Precinct) |
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 Woodley
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| Population | 35,470 (2011 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SU7673 |
| • London | 35 mi (56 km) E |
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| Unitary authority |
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| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Reading |
| Postcode district | RG5 |
| Dialling code | 0118 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Royal Berkshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament |
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Woodley is a town located in Berkshire, England. It is part of the Borough of Wokingham. Woodley is about 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Reading. It is also close to other towns and villages like Earley, Wokingham, Sonning, and Twyford.
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History of Woodley
The name Woodley comes from old English words. They mean "a clearing in the wood." This tells us that Woodley was once a forest area. The town was not mentioned in the Domesday Book. This was a big survey of England from 1086.
The first time Woodley was written about was around 1074-1099. A document from the Salisbury Cathedral archives mentions "Osbertus de Woodleghe." This person lived in Woodley and could feed his pigs in the local woods. The modern spelling "Woodley" appeared in a survey from 1550.
In the western part of Woodley, there was a place called Old Bulmershe Manor. It used to belong to Reading Abbey. Later, it was home to the Blagrave family. John Blagrave, a famous mathematician from the 1600s, might have been born there.
Next to it was Bulmershe Court, also known as Woodley Lodge. It was built in 1777. The area called Bulmershe Heath was a marshy place. Bulls used to graze there.
Woodley's Horse Races
From 1727 to 1814, horse races were held on Bulmershe Heath. These were called the Reading Races. Horse owners from nearby counties could enter their horses. The races happened every August. They were advertised in the local newspaper. After 1814, the races moved to Kings Meadow in Reading.
Around the 1820s, the lands in Woodley were divided up. This was called the "enclosure of lands." People lost their rights to collect fuel or let their animals graze on Bulmershe Heath. As a way to make up for this, they were given small pieces of land. These were called the Poor's Gardens.
Henry Addington and Woodley Lodge
Henry Addington bought Woodley Lodge in 1790. He lived there during the summers until 1801. Addington was a very important person. He was the Speaker of the House of Commons. Later, from 1801 to 1804, he became the Prime Minister. He was also friends with William Pitt the Younger.
Addington led a group of volunteer horse riders called the Woodley Yeomanry. These were wealthy farmers and gentlemen. King George III even reviewed them on Bulmershe Heath in 1799 and 1805. Henry Addington later became Viscount Sidmouth. He and his wife gave land for the Royal Berkshire Hospital. Today, Addington Gardens and Addington School in Woodley are named after him.
During the Second World War, the US Army used Woodley Lodge. In the 1960s, the old house was taken down. A teacher training college was built there. This college later became part of the University of Reading. In 2013-2014, the land was sold. Now, it is a new neighborhood with homes and a care home.
In 1847, a guide called Kelly's Directory described Woodley. It said Woodley was a "scattered village" with mostly farmhouses. It also mentioned a market for cattle at Loddon Bridge. Several pubs were listed, like The Bull and Chequers.
Woodley Aerodrome: Flying High
Before the 1930s, Woodley was a small, quiet village. But that changed in 1929. Woodley Aerodrome opened on a 100-acre field. Two people, Jack Phillips and Charles Powis, started a flying school there. They offered flying lessons.
Many people learned to fly at Woodley. Pauline Gower, who later became a leader in the Women's Air Transport Auxiliary, got her pilot's license there in 1930. The school even offered lessons for a set price, no matter how many hours it took!
In 1932, F.G. Miles came to Woodley. He started an aircraft workshop. His wife, Blossom, was a talented designer and helped a lot. His brother George joined the company in 1936.
The company's first big success was the Miles Hawk airplane. It was a wooden plane that cost £395. At the time, flying was mostly for rich people. But the Miles Hawk was one of the most affordable planes. A hotel called the Falcon Hotel was built in 1937. It was for visitors and the Reading Aero Club.
Miles Aircraft and World War II
The company was called Phillips and Powis until 1943. Then, it changed its name to Miles Aircraft Ltd. Two of their most famous planes were the Magister and the Master. The Royal Air Force (RAF) used these planes to train pilots.
Many famous aviators visited Woodley before the war. These included Charles Lindbergh and Amy Johnson. Sadly, Douglas Bader had a flying accident at the airfield in 1931. He was an RAF pilot. He was doing a dangerous stunt close to the ground. He crashed and lost both his legs.
Douglas Bader was taken to the Royal Berkshire Hospital. Doctors could not save his legs. He was fitted with artificial legs and learned to walk again. Bader became a very famous pilot. His story is told in the book and film Reach For The Sky. He always helped raise money for the hospital. In 1956, he returned to Woodley to open The Coronation Hall.
From 1935, the company ran a flying school for civilians. They trained people to serve in the RAF. In 1938, the company won a huge order. They were to build 500 M.9 Master Is planes. This was the biggest order for training planes in Britain at the time. The factory had to expand quickly.
By 1939, Phillips and Powis had 1,000 employees. New buildings and a modern headquarters were opened. When World War II started in September 1939, the airfield and factory were camouflaged. This meant they were hidden to look like natural land. Nearby trees were cut down so they wouldn't be a landmark for enemy planes.
In 1940, the company also started repairing Spitfire planes. At the peak of the war, the factory worked 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There were 5,000 employees. The aerodrome was bombed three times in 1940. But the damage was small, and no one died.
About 6,000 planes were built and first flown from Woodley between 1933 and 1962. In 1939, the factory set up Britain's first moving assembly line for aircraft. This was for building the Miles Master training plane.
After the Second World War, Woodley continued to grow. Other businesses moved there from Reading. By the early 1960s, the aerodrome was not used much. All flying stopped when the Handley Page (Reading) Ltd aircraft factory closed in 1962-63.
After gravel was dug out in the 1960s and 70s, the aerodrome land was used for new homes and light industry. Today, Woodley's aviation history is remembered. You can visit the Museum of Berkshire Aviation. Also, many road names in the area are related to aviation.
Landmarks in Woodley
Woodley has a Congregational church building. It was finished in 1834. It has a Gothic Revival style. Now, it is used as offices.
The Church of St John the Evangelist was built in 1873. Henry Woodyer designed it. Robert Palmer paid for it. Woodley became its own church area in 1881.
Education in Woodley
Woodley has two secondary schools for students aged 11-16. They are Waingels College and The Bulmershe School. Waingels College specializes in Mathematics and Computing. The Bulmershe School specializes in Sports.
There are also several primary schools in Woodley. These include Highwood, Beechwood, St Dominic's Roman Catholic, Rivermead, Woodley Church of England, Southlake, and Willow Bank.
Geography of Woodley
Woodley has a special natural area called a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It is just east of the town and is called Lodge Wood and Sandford Mill.
The town also has three local nature reserves. These are places set aside to protect nature. They are called Alder Moors, Highwood, and Lavells Lake.
Sport in Woodley
Woodley has its own football team called Woodley United F.C.. The club started in 1904. In 2009, Woodley Town had three teams in the Reading Football League. The main team won the Senior Division and a cup in 2008–09.
The club also has a youth section called Woodley Town Kestrels. They have boys' and girls' teams for different age groups.
Woodley is home to the Kingfisher Table Tennis Club. They play in local leagues. In 2019, Maria Tsaptsinos from Kingfisher won the England championship title.
The Southlake Angling Society manages the Southlake fishery. This is a place where people can go fishing. It started in the early 1960s. The Society also manages Redlands lake and a part of the River Loddon.
Every Saturday, there is a park run in Woodford Park. On Sundays, there is a junior park run for younger kids.
Notable people from Woodley
- Felix Bowness, a comedy actor.
- James Henry, a footballer.
- F G & Maxine ('Blossom') Miles, famous aircraft designers and pilots.
- Hamza Riazuddin, a cricketer for Hampshire.
- Irwin Sparkes, the singer for the band The Hoosiers.
- Chris Tarrant, a TV presenter, known for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
- Sam Barratt, a footballer.
- Tommy Longhurst, the singer for the band Only The Poets.
- Nelson Abbey, a footballer who went to Waingels College.
Literature
Woodley is mentioned in a short ghost story. It is called The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance. M.R. James wrote it in 1919.
See also
In Spanish: Woodley (Berkshire) para niños
