Introduction
Village in Berkshire, England
Not to be confused with Arborfield Cross; Arborfield, Saskatchewan; or Rural Municipality of Arborfield No. 456.
Human settlement in EnglandArborfieldSt Bartholomew's parish churchArborfieldLocation within BerkshireOS grid referenceSU7567Civil parishArborfield and NewlandUnitary authorityWokinghamCeremonial countyBerkshireRegionSouth EastCountryEnglandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townReadingPostcode districtRG2Dialling code0118PoliceThames ValleyFireRoyal BerkshireAmbulanceSouth Central
UK ParliamentWokinghamWebsiteArborfield Village
List of places
UK
England
Berkshire
51°24′04″N 0°54′58″W / 51.401°N 0.916°W / 51.401; -0.916
Arborfield is a village in the civil parish of Arborfield and Newland, in the Borough of Wokingham in Berkshire, England. It is about 5 miles (8 km) south-east of Reading, about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Wokingham. It lies about 1 mile (2 km) west of the village of Arborfield Cross and the two villages have become collectively known as Arborfield, with no signs marking their boundary.
Etymology
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The name 'Arborfield' is first recorded in 1166 as Edburgefeld, meaning 'Edburga's Field', Edburga being a widespread Anglo-Saxon lady's name. It evolved through variations to the modern Arborfield as first recorded in the 17th century.
Notable buildings
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Arborfield Hall[edit]
Main article: Arborfield Hall
The manor house, which originally stood on the site, was occupied by the Bullock family from the mid-12th century. The last Arborfield Hall, built in 1837, was the home of Sir John Conroy, Controller of the Household of the Duchess of Kent. It was demolished in 1955.
Churches[edit]
The present Church of England parish church of Saint Bartholomew is a Gothic Revival building designed by J Picton and built in 1863. The new building replaces an older St Bartholomew's church, known as the 'Wooden Chapel of Edburgefeld', that had been built in the 13th century and altered probably early in the 18th century. When the new church was consecrated the roof of the old one was removed and later layers of plaster stripped from the interior walls, revealing Medieval wall paintings of "figure subjects and geometrical and masonry patterns" that "covered the walls". These have now been lost and the church ruins have greatly deteriorated. The current church is notable for one of its 6 bells. The number one bell (treble) was cast c.1399 at the Wokingham Bell Foundry, it is notable as being the only Wokingham Foundry bell nearby to Wokingham as well as one of the oldest bells still regularly rung. The army garrison has its own garrison church, a 20th-century building dedicated to Saint Eligius.