Historical information and maps

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 

Archaeology finds surgery

• Drop in for expert advice about archaeological objects from our Finds Liaison Officer
• Wokingham Library on the last Thursday of every month - 10am to 12noon

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

Historical maps available in our libraries

We hold a wide range of maps: 

• 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
• Ordnance Survey maps covering Wokingham and the surrounding area, pre and post war, on the 6 and 25 inch scales, including a set from 2006
• View maps at Wokingham Library sorted by reference number (PDF document) 
• View maps at Wokingham Library sorted by place name (PDF document) for a list of places and the maps which cover them
• Goad maps of Wokingham from the 1980s to 2009

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