Sonning & Sonning Eye Society: News Page.

'Newts of Sonning':
The Society gets “up, close and personal” with its local environment.

Our local resident environmentalist Alistair Driver hosted a fascinating evening on XXX, during which Society members were shown a small sample of the local wildlife that live in and around Ali's Pond, including the rare and endangered Great Crested Newt.

Later on in the evening we were introduced by XX to a few 'tame' bats, of a type that are likely to be found in the area. Using a bat detector Mr XX was able to track down a number of local bats before it got too dark. We learned, contrary to popular belief, that bats feed several times in the evening, coming and going from their roosts.

BBC Radio Oxford will be broadcasting a piece about this event on Sybil Roscoe's programme between 3.00 and 4.00 PM on Wednesday 15th August.

You can also see a short video of the event by going to:

http:/www.bbc.co.uk/oxford/content/articles/2007/08/02/sonning_newts.shtml

As part of the Heritage Open Days weekend organised by The Civic Trust and English Heritage, the Sonning & Sonning Eye Society is pleased to announce its participation on Sunday 11 September 2005, with this event, Henry Woodyer in Sonning. The day will highlight the significance of this High Victorian architect, whose work makes quite an impact on our historic village. The event also forms part of our first birthday celebrations as a civic society.

Henry Woodyer, 1816-1896, worked extensively in Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire. He is mostly known for church restorations and building schools and vicarages. He is also associated with Houses of Mercy, institutions for fallen women, several of which can be found in and near Windsor (Robert Palmer of Holme Park was a member of the Council at Clewer). The village of Sonning offers a variety of buildings demonstrating Woodyer’s highly individual style, including more unusually a house, a building type with which he was little associated.

St Andrew’s Church in the heart of the village is one of the key examples of his work. Medieval in origin it was in a dilapidated state by the middle of the 19th century, and complete with Georgian boxed pews, when Canon Hugh Pearson invited Woodyer, a friend from university days at Balliol College Oxford, to restore its fabric in 1851-52. Woodyer came back again in 1875-76 to restore and enrich the chancel, as well as to design the Palmer Memorial in the south aisle. The Church contains contemporary furnishings by the Birmingham firm of Hardman & Co: five stained glass windows and a splendid, intact set of light fittings still used today.

Holme Park, now Reading Blue Coat School, is a more rare example of Henry Woodyer’s work. Here the architect remodelled a modest late 18th-century house, home of the Palmer family, the neo-classical style of which is still discernible in the extant stable block adjacent to the house. His designs, undertaken in 1881-82 for Henry Golding-Palmer, formerly Rector at Stratford St Mary in Suffolk where Woodyer previously worked, incorporate a grand entrance front, in which the underlying structure of the Georgian house can still be seen. The romantic south-facing garden front displays a number of Woodyer characteristics –turrets, fine knapped flint, down-pipes, and a range of window styles – mullioned, gothic, oriel and dormer. The entrance hall, staircase and old Library show typical features of his domestic style.

North Lodge in Sonning Lane formed the village entrance to Holme Park. The picturesque lodge and imposing gates were built in 1881. Characteristic Woodyer features include varied and irregularly spaced window types, fine brickwork “layered” with narrow courses of knapped flint, a staircase tower, down pipes and impressive ironwork on the gates.

Masters and School Cottage in Thames Street have been sensitively converted out of the elementary school for boys and the attached master’s house, which Woodyer built in 1859. Characteristic features here include the bell-cote, unusual dormer windows, down pipes, date-stone and fine patterned brickwork.

The old Vicarage, now St Andrew’s Acre (not open within the event) was modified and extended by Woodyer for his friend, Hugh Pearson, in 1858 at the cost of £800. Characteristic features here are the elaborate wooden porch, patterned brickwork, varying window types and down pipes.

The buildings will be open as follows:

St Andrew's Church
Open from 12 noon – 5.00 pm
Entrance free
Tower open 2.00 – 4.00 pm
Visitors are welcome to browse at leisure or to join one of the special church tours being provided:

1.30 pm
2.30 pm
3.30 pm

Reading Blue Coat School, Sonning Lane [Exterior and three interior rooms]
Entrance free
Open from 12 noon – 5.00 pm
Visitors are welcome to browse at leisure or to join one of the special house tours being provided:

2.00 pm
3.00 pm

North Lodge, Sonning Lane [Exterior only]
Entrance free
Open from 12 noon – 5.00 pm
Visitors are welcome to browse at leisure

Masters, Thames Street [Exterior only]
Entrance free
Open from 12 noon – 5.00 pm
Visitors are welcome to browse at leisure

Exhibition, Pearson Hall, Pearson Road
Complementary exhibition of photographs in Victorian village hall built in 1889 by public subscription as a memorial to Hugh Pearson. The exhibition puts Woodyer in context and relates his work at Sonning to his other significant buildings locally.

Entrance free
Open from 12 noon – 5.00 pm
Visitors are welcome to browse at leisure
Refreshments from 2.00 – 5.00 pm
Toilet facilities, including disabled, available

Car parking
Please note that there is no public car park in the village.

Especially for the event, car parking will be available at

The Mill Theatre, entrance on Sonning Bridge, and
The Reading Blue Coat School, Sonning Lane.

All vehicles will pay £1.00 to park, which will entitle them to use both car parks. Car parking for disabled visitors is available at all venues except Masters, Thames Street and Pearson Hall, Pearson Road.

The Civic Trust welcomes Sonning & Sonning Eye

The Sonning & Sonning Eye Society has just heard that The Civic Trust has accepted its application for affiliation. The Trust is a national organisation founded after the Second World War “to foster high standards of planning and architecture”. Although focused originally on towns and cities where poor quality development replaced bomb-damaged areas, it is now much broader in scope, and many village-based societies like our own have joined it. For example within the South East, Datchet (Berkshire), Long Crendon (Buckinghamshire), Titchfield (Hampshire), Garsington (Oxfordshire) and Windlesham (Surrey) all have societies similarly affiliated.

The Trust works in a number of ways:

Supporting societies like ours with advice, technical assistance and funding for special initiatives such as environmental improvement or management training for those co-ordinating local regeneration projects;
Raising awareness of excellence in development standards, architecture, conservation and green space management, through for example the Heritage Open Days, in which we plan to participate on 11 September 2005 (look out for more news on this in the July Parish Magazine); and
Campaigning for changes to national and local policy.

The Trust’s purpose guided the establishment of the Sonning & Sonning Eye Society.

[This report appears in Sonning Parish Magazine, May 2005]

'Words on Eye: A Guided Walk Around Sonning Eye'

This ‘walk & talk’ for the Sonning & Sonning Eye Society, led by Alistair Driver and David Woodward, was blessed with blue skies and spring sunshine. It made our stroll, from the waterside jetty near the French Horn to the gravel lakes and islands, simply ideal for spotting wetland flora, fauna and feathers! Great crested grebes, the ‘hobby’, moorhens, warblers and many others were seen or heard – or both- while a ramble through the charming narrow footpath by the waterside cottages gave many of us a completely fresh perspective on Eye – invisible from the road. Progressing up Spring Lane, the spring itself was hidden, too, a dry season depleting the water-table.

With butterflies – Orange Tipped and Green Veined Whites, released from temporary capture, back into their natural environment, we were introduced to another – rather smelly – local resident that most of us had never met before – a pole-cat, masked like a mini Panda and with fur like Sable! Alistair’s talk, full of fascinating facts and surprises – a roadside snakeskin, the planting of Poplars for the match industry, the species of dragonflies in our valley – we all, young & old alike, finished with eyes opened wider to our local wildlife habitats.

This was followed by an intriguing talk on aspects of Eye, by David blending history, architecture, industry and anecdote! Such a feast of information: Eyot House with its glorious tile frieze created by the De Morgan Tile Company, the renovation of a 16th century barn, the site of the Forge, the development & decline of willow basket making, the history of local farms, the 12 listed buildings, Eyot Island, the wonderful interiors of barns, sympathetically converted to housing, whose owners had generously allowed us to visit. There were so many intriguing questions: was Botany Bay cottage originally the collecting point for deportees? Why – and when – did ‘The Barracks’ get their name? Completed by a close up view of the 18th century Sonning Mill and its water wheel, followed by tea in the garden of The Great House, the afternoon was a most enjoyable event, encouraging us all to re-appreciate – and care for – our fine local heritage – a feast for the ‘Eyes’.

Joyce Reed
S&SES Education Panel.

Biodiversity in Sonning & Wokingham

“Variety’s the very spice of life” and that is just what the jargon-word “biodiversity” is all about too, as demonstrated by Andy Glencross, Wokingham District Council’s enthusiastic Countryside Officer in his talk on 18th March. Those who attended are now likely to be found either attempting to locate the elusive Glow Worm between here and Dinton Pastures, where Andy is based, or along the Thames this month searching out the rare Loddon Lily (or Summer Snowflake, Leucojum aestivum) - 80% of this plant’s UK population is on the Berkshire sections of the Thames and Loddon. But behind the success stories in his talk about local habitats and species there was an underlying current of decline and mismanagement, caused in part by creeping urbanisation and also by the loss of some efficient and effective ways of managing land, such as coppicing and hedge-laying. The entire land surface of the UK has been affected by man's activities in some way over the centuries, so biodiversity is inevitably dependent on positive action and respect for our natural environment, which just using either ‘natural history’ or ‘ecology’ does not quite conjure up.

While rivers, streams and wetlands naturally formed a substantial part of Andy’s talk in which he regretted that our particular patch of the Thames and the Loddon has not been given designated status, he also covered the heathlands in the south of the district and how they evolved from earlier agricultural systems, including grazing management. We learned about some of the wildflower indicators of ancient woodlands and about unimproved grasslands. We heard about the ‘developer’s worst nightmare’ and Ali's Pond "resident superstar", the Great Crested Newt, but who would have thought that the newts are such amazing travellers, spending only 30% of their life in a pond in any one year?

We noted the extinction of the once common Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary and that the decline of the water vole, Ratty to many of us, is compensated by the gradual return of the otter - now found in Wokingham District on the Loddon and occasionally the Thames. Have you seen one? Or have you seen a dormouse - not yet recorded in the district but not far away in the Chilterns? There are a number of organisations interested in being told about sightings of unusual birds, animals or plants – if you would like to follow up any of these leads click here to be referred to some of the links mentioned by Andy as well as some others of particular relevance to Sonning Eye. We also have spare copies of Wokingham’s leaflet Local wildlife needs you and Biodiversity News if anyone would like a copy (telephone 969 2132).

Other species mentioned in the talk were:

Birds:

Bittern
Nightjar

Insects:

Stag Beetle

Plants:

Bluebells
Green-winged orchid
Ragged Robin
Stitchwort

Reptiles:

Adder
Grass snake

Diana Coulter
[Part of this report appeared in Sonning Parish Magazine, April 2005]

Missing milestone traced!

Winner of the Missing Milestone competition in the Winter Newsletter is Ali Campbell and wee helpers of Parkway Drive.

The missing milestone is located in Old Bath Road, Charvil, outside the Texaco petrol station. It is 19th century with incised Roman lettering. On the West face it reads Reading 4, Newbury 21, and on the East face it reads Maidenhead 9, Colnbrook 18, London 35.

Well done to Ali. As Ali remarked in her entry, “Presumably Slough had little importance in those days!”

The next competition will appear in the Summer Newsletter in August.

S&SES get to know Henry Woodyer, the ‘Gentleman Architect’.

This talk for the Sonning & Sonning Eye Society by Dr. John Elliott on the Victorian architect Henry Woodyer was appropriately held in the ‘Buttery’ or old Library in Holme Park at the Reading Blue Coat school. Originally built in the 1790s, Holme Park was later remodelled by Woodyer in 1881-2. It was also an appropriate venue as the event was dedicated to Armine Edmonds who sadly passed away in January. Armine’s mother was brought up at Holme Park and since the 1960s Armine lived at Woodyer’s North Lodge with her husband, John.

Dr. Elliott began his talk by explaining that, although Henry Woodyer has about 300 commissions to his name, little was known about this prolific architect until it was suggested as a subject for a thesis, culminating in the book ‘Henry Woodyer: Gentleman Architect’ which Dr. Elliott co-wrote with John Pritchard. Unfortunately this interesting and informative book is now out of print.

Educated at Eton and Oxford, Woodyer was a wealthy man with a large estate at Grafham, near Guildford in Surrey. Whilst he had no need to earn a living, he had considered the church and law as possible careers but chose architecture instead. His society and church connections ensured that he was never short of new commissions, and those he preferred were usually within easy reach of Guildford by train.

Woodyer only designed or extended a handful of country houses, as religion dominated the majority of his work. He was responsible for many new churches and church restorations, as well as parsonages and village schools. Most of his work is a flamboyant form of Victorian Gothic, rich in colour and decoration, although some of his restorations have been thought of as insensitive [not least, some say, St. Andrew’s church, which he substantially restyled between 1852-3]. Apart from Holme Park, North Lodge and St. Andrews, Woodyer was also responsible in the village for building in 1859 the old school on Thames Street, now known as ‘Masters’, and for additions and repairs to the old vicarage in 1858.

Woodyer’s distinctive style eventually fell out of fashion and he was mostly forgotten about. Dr. Elliott’s talk reintroduced this important architect and a walk around Sonning will reveal how much Woodyer shaped the architectural heritage of our village.

Stephen Humphreys
[This article appeared in Sonning Parish Magazine, March 2005]

The Sonning & Sonning Eye Society go ‘walkabout’ around Sonning.

On Sunday 17th October the Sonning & Sonning Eye Society had its’ first outing - a walk around Sonning aptly titled 'Bricks & Bats: Habitations & Habitats of Pearson Road & Environs', led by society members Alistair Driver, Brian O'Callaghan & Diana Coulter.

Starting at Beech Lodge, the walkers were divided into two groups and then led in relay around the carefully planned circular walk. First visit was to ‘The Pound’ on Pound Lane; the copse of trees between King George's Field and Pound Lane, about which Alastair outlined a brief natural history and the importance of even such a small copse as a habitat for all manner of plants, insects and wildlife. After a wander down Pound Lane Diana pointed out that, despite the styling and names of some of the houses, none that we had just walked by had existed before the last century, many being the work of local builder Sidney Paddick.

Next stop was a look at the Victorian Gothic architecture of Pearson Hall and the Alms Houses next door. A look at the gardens behind the Alms Houses revealed a shallow valley caused by a spring which starts at Sonning Farm and the appropriately named ‘Spring Cottages’ on Charvil Lane. The stream is also fed by surface water in the village and discharges into the Thames near the bridge. Now mostly culverted, once upon a time this little stream would have been a source of clean drinking water for the villagers and their livestock, and for the local women to do their dirty washing in!

Further along Pearson Road we looked at Georgian and timber-framed medieval houses, where Alastair said that the old roof spaces were excellent habitats for bats. Brian then described how ‘Old Cottage’ was not a cottage at all, but was originally a great hall. It seems that very few of the ‘cottages’ around Sonning were ever true cottages, most being far too grand for what would have been very humble dwellings.

Brian O'Callaghan in full flow at North Lodge.

Walking down the High Street, Diana pointed out some of the clues that show which of the houses were once shops where once upon a time you would have been able to purchase almost all of your weekly provisions!

Down by the Bull the two groups joined forces for brief stops in the churchyard and the grounds behind North Lodge overlooking the site where the Bishop’s Palace once stood. Then it was up Sonning lane to Ali’s Pond Local Nature Reserve at the top of King George’s Field. Alastair outlined a brief history of the reserve and talked about the variety of plants and wildlife in and around the pond, particularly the discovery of Great Crested Newts which ensured the reserve its’ protected status. Alastair rounded off by announcing that the reserve has just won the 2004 Dorothy Morley Community Conservation Award for Berkshire. Congratulations to Alastair and The Friends of Ali’s Pond!

Finally, the walk ended back at Beech Lodge for tea and some excellent home-made cakes. Many thanks to Diana, Brian and Alastair for a most enlightening tour of Sonning.

Stephen Humphreys
[A shortened version of this article appeared in Sonning Parish Magazine, November 2004]