Last updated:
12th July 2023
Historical information
Accessing historical information
We offer a number of ways to access historical information for Wokingham borough. View our full list of resources at Wokingham Library (PDF document)
Local history advice surgery
- A local expert is available to answer queries about Wokingham in days gone
- Wokingham Library every Friday - 9.30am to 11.30am
Finchampstead Society archive surgery
- Drop in to the Finchampstead Society archive surgery to view the archive and find out more about Finchampstead
- Finchampstead Library on the first Thursday of every month - 2pm to 4pm
Historical material available in our libraries
We hold a wide range of historical material:
- Books on the history of the borough, Wokingham and surrounding towns and villages
- Books covering specific topics such as transport, buildings and natural history in Wokingham borough
- A number of Wokingham Council and Berkshire Council publications - local plans and surveys and a range of pamphlets relating to the history of the area
- A variety of other local journals - e.g. Wokingham Historian, Wokingham Remembered, Wargrave News, publications of the Twyford and Ruscombe Local History Societies
- A large number of photographs for the local area, including a set of aerial photos from 1996
- Parish records for the Sonning and Barkham parishes as well as monumental inscriptions for local churches and war memorial inscriptions
Street directories available in our libraries
We hold a wide range of directories:
- Street directories held at Wokingham Library (PDF document)
- Street directories for Berkshire from the 1850s to the 1930s
- Post war directories of Reading, which include Woodley, Earley, Twyford and Spencers Wood
Local census returns available in our libraries
We hold a wide range of census data:
- Microfilm copies of the local census returns from 1841 to 1901
- An index to the 1881 census
- Statistical reports of the 1961, 1971, 1981 and 1991 censuses for the local area