Hurley, Berkshire

Hurley is a small village and large, rural civil parish in Berkshire, England. Its riverside is agricultural, except for Hurley Priory, as are the outskirts of the village. The adjoining inn is believed to date to 1135.

Hurley

The Olde Bell inn, originally the guest house for Hurley Abbey
Hurley
Location within Berkshire
Population1,854 (2001)
1,923 (2011 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceSU826834
Civil parish
  • Hurley
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townMaidenhead
Postcode districtSL6
Dialling code01628
PoliceThames Valley
FireRoyal Berkshire
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament

Topography

Hurley itself is a linear development perpendicular to and adjoining the Upper Thames 4 miles (6.4 km) NW of Maidenhead and 3.5 miles (5.6 km) ENE of Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire on the A4130 road. The parish includes the considerable hamlets of Cockpole Green, Warren Row, Knowl Hill, Burchett's Green and part of Littlewick Green.[2]

Ashley Hill Forest, almost 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the village is close to and almost equidistant between Warren Row, Knowl Hill and Burchett's Green and is the largest woodland. Other than this the parish is mainly agricultural however many farms have spinneys of woodland adjoining.

Historic structures

Localities

Hurley Bottom

Only one of the buildings at the foot of the hill in the south of the village street is listed. This southerly neighbourhood has the loose name Hurley Bottom but is 10m higher than the riverside parts of the village.

Frogmill Court and Frogmill Spinney

Frogmill Spinney forms a riverside Park Homes estate, with fewer than 25 available. The court is now a farmhouse but is a centuries-old building which is listed as such adjoining the river, which in this parish consists of mainly grazing and pasture meadows.[6] Approximately seven detached or semi-detached riverside homes also adjoin the river in this western frontage point, accessed by a separate lane.[2]

Recreation

Hurley is often used as a mooring for barges and motor launches, or by campers. The weir at Hurley Lock is considered the premier venue in the United Kingdom for freestyle kayaking.

Cricket has been played in Hurley for over 100 years. The club currently plays in the Chiltern League on Saturdays and friendly fixtures against local rivals on Sundays. The ground is typified with an Old English plane tree that lies within the boundaries. The clubhouse was rebuilt in the 1970s after fire destroyed the previous wooden one.

The Temple Golf Club was founded in 1909. It is recognised for its scenic beauty and its emphasis on sustainable environmental management.[7]

Public transport

The village is served by a bus route from Maidenhead.

Closest railway stations are Marlow, Maidenhead and Henley approximately four miles north east, south east and west respectively.

Notes

  1. "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  2. Grid square map Ordnance survey website
  3. "The Priory of Hurley". British History Online. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  4. Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1007933)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  5. "The Olde Bell". (official website). Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  6. Frogmore Farmhouse Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1319393)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  7. Lorne Smith (2009), "Temple", Fine Golf
  8. https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/j/jerome/jerome_k/three/chapter13.html
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