Wokingham

Wokingham still remains the character of a small market town, with its historic street pattern and rich collection of buildings. Although there is much light industry in the suburbs, the town's main function is still to act as a shopping and servicing centre for the surrounding area.

How Wokingham got its name

'Wokingham', or the 'homestead of the people of Wocc or Woccingas' is a Saxon place-name and is interpreted as meaning that the area had been settled by people from the province of the Woccings from near Woking.

Throughout the medieval period, Wokingham was part of the large manor and parish of Sonning, and was administered by the Bishop of Salisbury as an ecclesiastical and jurisdictional unit separate from the County of Wiltshire. The estate remained a detached part of Wiltshire until 1845, and that is probably why Wokingham is not mentioned in Domesday, as it is likely to have been included in the entry for Sonning.

In 1885, under the provisions of the Municipal Corporations Act 1822, Queen Victoria granted a Charter of Incorporation, constitution the town a Municipal Borough with elected Mayor, Alderman and Councillors. In the reorganisation of local government in 1974, the Borough of Wokingham was amalgamated with the Wokingham Rural District to form the Wokingham Borough Council. In the process the town lost Borough status, now being referred to as the Wokingham Town Council, but retaining an elected Town Mayor and Town Council.

The town Hall

The Town Hall, in the Market Place, stands on the site of the former Guildhall, permission for which was granted under James 1's Charter of 1612. In 1858 the Guildhall became so dilapidated that it was decided to hold a competition for the design of a new building. The old building was pulled down and the present building, designed by a Reading architect, was opened in 1860 by the Lord High Steward, Lord Braybrook.

The interior of the main hall has an open roof in medieval style, and on the ends of the beams are the Arms of the High Stewards of Wokingham, 19 in all. The pictures are interesting, most of them being copies of portraits at Windsor Castle. Two original portraits hanging there are of Charles II by Sir Peter Lely and of George III by Sir Godfrey Kneller, portrait painters to the royal family. There is also a portrait of Prince George of Denmark, consort of Queen Anne, to whom she gave the title Baron Ockingham.

Beneath the Town Hall are the old cells and Police Constable's quarters. The Old Rose Inn was built in 1848 and was once visited by Marconi of radio fame. But the Inn used to stand on another site opposite. This had an interesting literary association. During a storm, a group of young men, Mr John Arbuthnot, the Queen's physician; Jonathan Swift, essayist; playwright John Gay and Alexander Pope of Binfield, poet, amused themselves by making up verses to 'Sweet Molly Mog', daughter of John Mogg the landlord and an Alderman of the town. John Gay published a collection of his verses including Sweet Molly Mog in 1726, one year before he published The Beggar's Opera.

The church

The Parish Church of All Saints was built on the site of an earlier church founded in the 12th century, but little remains of the original building. The little that remains of the original south doorway supports the theory of a late-Norman church. The present church was built about the end of the 15th century, but the north and south aisles were added during restoration in 1861. The 15th century font is octagonal with traceried panels containing roses and other flowers. A gallery, half-way up the tower and open to the rest of the church, is used as the ringing floor.

By an Order in Council dated 27 July 1863, the ecclesiastical parish of Wokingham was divided and the parish of St Paul was formed. Mr John Walter of Bearwood presented land for the site of a church and churchyard and erected, at his own expense, St Paul's Church with endowment of the living.

The principle feature of the church is the delicate Early English style of architecture with a spire about 150 feet high, forming an attractive landmark. The nave arcade is in the early pointed style with beautifully carved capitals and its roof is about 50 feet high. The font is of Caen stone also supported on eight polished pillars of Devonshire marble and rests on platform of blue Forest of Dean stone.

To the west of Wokingham town is the major housing development at Woosehill, with its own public open space, primary school, local shopping centre, doctors' surgery and community centre.

View an interactive map of Wokingham for more details.