Editing Tilehurst

{{Short description|Village in Berkshire, England}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox UK place|
|country                  = England
|official_name            = Tilehurst
|static_image_name        = Tilehurst Triangle - geograph.org.uk - 1189043.jpg
|static_image_caption     = Tilehurst Triangle
|population               = 9,185
|population_ref           = ([[Tilehurst (Reading ward)|ward]])
|civil_parish             = [[Tilehurst Without (civil parish)|Tilehurst]] (part [[Unparished area|unparished]])
|unitary_england          = [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]]
|unitary_england1         = [[West Berkshire]]
|lieutenancy_england      = [[Berkshire]]
|region                   = South East England
|constituency_westminster = [[Reading West and Mid Berkshire (UK Parliament constituency)| Reading West and Mid Berkshire
]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Location of Reading West and Mid Berkshire |url= https://members.parliament.uk/constituency/4254/location |website=parliament.uk |date=July 2024 |access-date=26 May 2025}}</ref>

|post_town                = READING
|postcode_district        = RG30, RG31
|postcode_area            = RG
|dial_code                = 0118
|os_grid_reference        = SU667736
|coordinates              = {{coord|51.4579|-1.0406|display=inline,title}}
}}
'''Tilehurst''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|aɪ|l|h|ɜr|s|t}} is a village on the western outskirts of the town of [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]] in the county of [[Berkshire]], England. It extends from the [[River Thames]] in the north to the [[A4 road (England)|A4 road]] in the south. 

The village is partly within the boundaries of the [[borough]] of Reading and partly in the district of [[West Berkshire]]. The part within West Berkshire forms part of the [[civil parish]] of [[Tilehurst (civil parish)|Tilehurst]], which also includes the northern part of [[Calcot, Berkshire|Calcot]] and a small rural area west of the village. The part within the borough of Reading includes the Reading [[Wards of the United Kingdom|electoral ward]] of [[Tilehurst (Reading ward)|Tilehurst]], together with parts of [[Kentwood (Reading ward)|Kentwood]] and [[Norcot (Reading ward)|Norcot]] wards.

== Toponymy ==
The name ''Tilehurst'' comes from the [[Old English]] "tigel" meaning "[[tile]]" and "hurst" meaning "wooded hill".<ref name="Manor of Tilehurst 5">{{cite book|last=Blagrave|first=J R|title=The Manor of Tylehurst|year=1834|location=Southcote|page=5|isbn=978-1-01-954529-4 |url=https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=c8wHAAAAQAAJ}}</ref><ref name="Bosworth 387">{{cite book|last=Bosworth|first=Joseph|title=A Dictionary of the Anglo-Saxon Language|year=1838|publisher=Longman|location=London|page=387|url=https://archive.org/details/adictionaryangl00boswgoog}}</ref><ref name="Weekley 110">{{cite book|last=Weekley|first=Ernest|title=The romance of names|year=2003|publisher=Kessinger|location=Whitefish, MT|isbn=0766153452|page=110}}</ref> Alternative spellings have included ''Tygelhurst'' (13th century), ''Tyghelhurst'' (14th century), and ''Tylehurst'' (16th century). The present spelling became commonplace in the 18th century.<ref name="BFHS" />

== History ==
Tilehurst was first recorded in 1291, when it was listed as a [[hamlet (place)|hamlet]] of Reading in [[Pope Nicholas III]]'s taxation.<ref name="VCH">{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43224 |title=Parishes: Tilehurst |editor1=P.H. Ditchfield |editor2=William Page |publisher=Institute of Historical Research |year=1923 |work=A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 3 |access-date=25 July 2012 }}</ref> At this time, the settlement was under the ownership of [[Reading Abbey]], where it stayed until the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]].<ref name="VCH" /> Tilehurst became an extensive [[parish]], which included the [[tything]] of [[Theale, Berkshire|Theale]] as well as the [[Manorialism|manor]]s of Tilehurst, [[Kentwood (Reading ward)|Kentwood]], Pincents and Beansheaf.<ref name="VCH" /> In 1545, [[Henry VIII]] granted the manor of Tilehurst (now Calcot) to [[Francis Englefield]], who held it until his [[attainder]] (and forfeiture of the manor) in 1586.<ref name="VCH" /> The following year, [[Elizabeth I]] gave the manor to Henry Forster of [[Aldermaston]] and George Fitton. Forster and Fitton possessed the manor until the turn of the century, when Elizabeth sold it to Henry Best and Francis Jackson.<ref name="VCH" />

Over the space of five years, the manor passed from Best and Jackson to the son of [[Thomas Crompton (died 1608)|Sir Thomas Crompton]], then on to Dutch merchant [[Peter Vanlore]].<ref name="VCH" /> Vanlore built a [[manor house]] on the estate—[[Calcot Park]]. Throughout the 17th century the manor passed through the Vanlore family to the Dickenson family, before being purchased in 1687 by the Wilder family of Nunhide (builders of [[Wilder's Folly]]) for £1,075.<ref name="VCH" /> Page and Ditchfield write that in the early 18th century the manor was also owned by the family of [[John Kendrick (cloth merchant)|John Kendrick]], albeit for a short period.<ref name="VCH" />

The manor subsequently passed to Benjamin Child, who married Mary Kendrick,{{#tag:ref|Kendrick's forename is also documented as ''Frances'',<ref name="Ford Berkshire Lady">{{cite web|last=Ford|first=David Nash|title=The Berkshire Lady|url=http://www.berkshirehistory.com/legends/berkslady_bal.html|work=Royal Berkshire History|publisher=Nash Ford Publishing|access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref> also the name of Child and Kendrick's daughter<ref name="Manor of Tilehurst 10">{{cite book|last=Blagrave|first=J R|title=The Manor of Tylehurst|year=1834|location=Southcote|page=10|isbn=978-1-01-954529-4 |url=https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=c8wHAAAAQAAJ}}</ref>}} heir of the Kendrick family.<ref name="VCH" /> After Kendrick's death, Childs sold the manor to descendants of [[John Blagrave]] in 1759.<ref name="VCH" /> The Blagrave family built the present-day Calcot House, which—according to one story—was made necessary by Child's eviction.<ref name="Ford Calcot">{{cite web|last=Ford|first=David Nash|title=Calcot Park|url=http://www.berkshirehistory.com/castles/calcot_park.html|work=Royal Berkshire History|publisher=Nash Ford Publishing|access-date=25 July 2012}}</ref> After Child sold the estate to the Blagraves, he was reluctant to leave the house.<ref name="Ford Calcot" /> The Blagraves were forced to remove the building's roof to "flush" him out of the building, thereby requiring a new building to replace the uninhabitable original house.<ref name="Ford Calcot" /><ref name="Manor of Tilehurst 11">{{cite book|last=Blagrave|first=J R|title=The Manor of Tylehurst|year=1834|location=Southcote|page=11|isbn=978-1-01-954529-4 |url=https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=c8wHAAAAQAAJ}}</ref> The manor was retained by the Blagrave family until the 1920s, after which it served as the clubhouse for the estate's [[golf course]] and was later converted into apartments.

The manor of [[Kentwood (Reading ward)|Kentwood]] was owned by [[Peter Vanlore]], before passing through the Kentwood family (taking their name from the manor itself), the Swafield family, the Yate family, the Fettiplace family and the Dunch family.<ref name="VCH" /> In 1719, the manor was divided between heirs.<ref name="VCH" /> The manor of Pincents was named after the local Pincent family. Originally from [[Sulhamstead]], the family owned the manor until the end of the 15th century.<ref name="VCH" /> After this, it was owned by the Sambourne family before they sold it to the Windsor family. In 1598, the manor was sold to the Blagrave family; its succession through the family is identical to that of [[Calcot Park]].<ref name="VCH" /> In the 1920s, the manor was sold off and later became a [[wedding]] and conference venue. The manor of Beansheaf took its name from a 13th-century Tilehurst family. In 1316, John Beansheaf granted some of the manor's land to [[John Stonor (judge)|John Stonor]].<ref name="VCH" /> While it is not recorded how much was granted, it is likely that Stonor inherited the entire estate as the Beansheaf name did not appear in subsequent records.<ref name="VCH" />

In 1390, Ralf Stonor gave the manor to William Sutton of [[Campden]] and John Frank. Frank later returned his share of the manor to Ralf Stonor, after which the manor was retained by the Stonor family until the end of the 15th century. The manor left the Stonor family when [[John Stonor (judge)|John Stonor]] died with no heirs. It passed through his sister, Anne, to her husband—[[Adrian Fortescue (martyr)|Adrian Fortescue]].<ref name="VCH" /> Some of the manor was later reinherited by the Stonors, though the majority was retained by the Fortescues until passing through marriage to the [[Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford|Wentworth family]].<ref name="VCH" /> In 1562 the manor was bought by John Bolney and Ambrose Dormer, after which it was passed into the family of [[Tanfield Vachell]].<ref name="VCH" /> The manor was inherited by the Blagrave family some time after 1600.<ref name="VCH" />

Throughout the 19th century, a number of changes came to Tilehurst. A [[National school (England and Wales)|national school]] was founded in 1819 to provide education to children not in private schooling.<ref name="BFHS">{{cite web|title=Tilehurst|url=http://www.berksfhs.org.uk/cms/Berkshire-Places/tilehurst.html|publisher=Berkshire Family History Society|access-date=24 July 2012}}</ref> The [[Great Western Main Line]] was built through [[Berkshire]] in 1841; {{rws|Tilehurst}} [[railway station]] opened in 1882.<ref name="BFHS" />

In the 1920s and 30s, many new houses were built in Tilehurst, particularly [[semi-detached]] residences. This gave the need for improved utilities; electricity arrived in the 1920s (replacing the [[Natural gas|gas]] that fuelled the area from 1906) and [[Tilehurst Water Tower]] was built in 1932.<ref name="BFHS" /> After [[World War II]], Tilehurst—like many other settlements—was in need of new housing; from 1950, many houses and estates were built in the area.<ref name="BFHS" /> In the mid-1960s, a prominent [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] character property, Westwood House with some five acres of open grounds was demolished as part of the ever pressing need for new housing. This site was positioned between Westwood Road and Pierce's Hill and had served well as a venue for occasional local social events.

== Governance ==
Tilehurst is divided between the [[civil parish]] of Tilehurst in the district of [[West Berkshire]]<ref name="ONS CP">{{cite web|title=Area: Tilehurst (CP)|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadAreaSearch.do?a=7&r=1&i=1001&m=0&s=1343225782695&enc=1&areaSearchText=tilehurst&areaSearchType=16&extendedList=true&searchAreas=|work=Neighbourhood Statistics|publisher=Office for National Statistics|access-date=25 July 2012}}</ref> and the [[electoral ward]]s of [[Tilehurst (Reading ward)|Tilehurst]]<ref name="ONS ward">{{cite web|title=Area: Tilehurst (Ward)|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadAreaSearch.do?a=7&r=1&i=1001&m=0&s=1343225514336&enc=1&areaSearchText=tilehurst&areaSearchType=14&extendedList=false&searchAreas=|work=Neighbourhood Statistics|publisher=Office for National Statistics|access-date=25 July 2012}}</ref> and [[Kentwood (Reading ward)|Kentwood]] (where [[Tilehurst railway station]] is located) in the borough of Reading.<ref name=wbwmap>{{cite web | url = http://www.westberks.gov.uk/media/pdf/n/j/04_d__Ward_Boundaries.pdf | title = Ward Boundaries effective from May 2003 | publisher = West Berkshire Council | access-date = 2007-09-26}}</ref> There are now four [[ecclesiastical parish]]es with Tilehurst in their names: Tilehurst St Catherine and Calcot St Birinus, Tilehurst [[St George]], Tilehurst [[St Mary Magdalen]] and [[Church of St Michael, Tilehurst|Tilehurst St Michael]] (the latter church being the original parish church).<ref name="BRO Parishes">{{cite web|title=Parish Register Guide: T|url=http://www.berkshirerecordoffice.org.uk/family-history/parish-register-guide/?letter=t#results|publisher=Berkshire Record Office|access-date=25 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Church of England Parish Map |url=https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=67bce0ed36dd4ee0af7a16bc079aa09a |access-date=7 November 2024}}</ref>

===Administrative history===
Tilehurst was an [[ancient parish]]. It historically included [[Theale]] to the south-west and also extended eastwards towards Reading as far as the Reading Union Workhouse (which later became [[Battle Hospital]]) on Oxford Road, and included [[Prospect Park, Reading|Prospect Park]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Boundary Map of Tilehurst Ancient Parish / Civil Parish |url=https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10087326/boundary |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=7 November 2024}}</ref> Theale became a separate ecclesiastical parish in 1832,<ref name="VCH" /> and a separate civil parish in 1894.<ref name=vob>[http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10087326 Vision of Britain website]</ref>

The eastern end of the parish of Tilehurst around the workhouse and Prospect Park was incorporated into the borough of Reading in September 1887.<ref>{{cite book |title=Reading Corporation Act 1887 |date=1887 |page=56 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UVUwAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA3-PA56 |access-date=6 November 2024}}</ref><ref name="Phillips 135">{{cite book|last=Phillips|first=Daphne|title=The story of Reading : including Caversham, Tilehurst, Calcot, Earley, and Woodley|year=1980|publisher=Countryside Books|location=Newbury, Berkshire|isbn=0-905392-07-8|page=135|edition=Reprinted.}}</ref> The civil parish boundary was adjusted to match the new borough boundary eighteen months later in March 1889, with the part of Tilehurst in the borough of Reading being transferred to the [[civil parish]] of [[Reading Minster|Reading St Mary]].<ref name=VoB>{{cite web |title=Tilehurst Ancient Parish / Civil Parish |url=https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10087326 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=7 November 2024}}</ref> A much larger part of Tilehurst was transferred to the borough of Reading in 1911, including the main village around Tilehurst Triangle (then also known as Tilehurst Common) and Tilehurst's parish church of St Michael at Churchend. The civil parish of Tilehurst was reduced as part of the 1911 changes to just cover the then largely rural west of the old parish that was not incorporated into the borough of Reading.<ref>{{cite web |title=Local Government Board's Provisional Order Confirmation (No. 11) Act 1911 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Geo5/1-2/148/contents/enacted |website=legislation.gov.uk |publisher=The National Archives |access-date=7 November 2024}}</ref><ref name=VoB/>

Reading Borough Council proposed to the government that the increasingly urbanised Tilehurst civil parish (as well as [[Purley on Thames]] and the eastern part of Theale) should be transferred into the borough of Reading as part of the major [[Local Government Act 1972|local government reforms of 1974]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Boundaries: Reading plea |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=7 November 2024 |work=Reading Evening Post |date=6 June 1972 |page=4}}</ref> The government decided instead to leave Reading's boundaries unchanged from when they had last been reviewed in 1911, placing the Tilehurst civil parish in [[Newbury (district)|Newbury district]], which became West Berkshire in 1998.

== Geography ==

[[File:AppleTree Eyot - geograph.org.uk - 1095949.jpg|thumb|The [[River Thames]] near to Tilehurst. [[Appletree Eyot]] can be seen in the distance]]

Tilehurst is situated on a hill (approximately {{convert|100|m}} [[AMSL]]), {{convert|3|mi}} to the west of Reading.<ref name="OS Exp">{{citation|title=OS Explorer Map (Reading)|publisher=Ordnance Survey|year=2012}}</ref> The land is steep to the west and south of the village; the gradient is smoother north (towards the [[River Thames]]) and east (descending towards Reading).<ref name="OS Exp" /> 

Much of Tilehurst was enclosed [[common land]] during the 18th and 19th centuries; as this land was developed with housing the commons were lost. [[Arthur Newbery Park]] is a surviving area of commonland. Similarly, [[Prospect Park, Reading|Prospect Park]] was enclosed and established before major development of the area was undertaken. Tilehurst is bordered to the west by wood and farmland, to the north by other settlements (such as [[Purley on Thames]] and the river itself), to the east by Reading and to the south by the [[Reading to Taunton line]], the [[M4 motorway]] and the [[River Kennet]].<ref name="OS Exp" />

Tilehurst is centred around Tilehurst Triangle (known locally as "the village"), a pedestrianised area providing shopping, leisure and educational facilities.<ref name="BFHS" /><ref name="OS Exp" /> Other areas of Tilehurst include [[Kentwood (Reading ward)|Kentwood]] near the [[railway station]] in the north, [[Norcot]] in the east, Churchend around [[Church of St Michael, Tilehurst|St Michael's parish church]] in the south, and [[Little Heath, Berkshire|Little Heath]] in the west. Tilehurst has a [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]] just to the west of the village, called [[Sulham and Tidmarsh Woods and Meadows]].<ref>[http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271003937%27 Magic Map Application<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Tilehurst has four [[local nature reserve]]s called [[Blundells Copse]], [[Lousehill Copse]], [[McIlroy Park]] & [[Round Copse]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://content.historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/aspects-of-suburban-landscapes/aspects-suburban-landscapes.pdf/ |title=ASPECTS OF SUBURBAN LANDSCAPES |publisher=Historic England |access-date=2017-04-09 |archive-date=10 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170410133019/https://content.historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/aspects-of-suburban-landscapes/aspects-suburban-landscapes.pdf/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="magicmap">{{cite web|url=http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=lnrIndex&query=REF_CODE%3D%271009628%27 |title=Magic Map Application |publisher=Magic.defra.gov.uk |access-date=2017-04-07}}</ref>

== Demography ==
For [[Tilehurst Ward]] in Reading, the [[2011 UK Census|2011 census]] recorded 9,185 residents in the ward and an area of {{convert|2.10|km2}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=Headcounts (Tilehurst ward)|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=6265354&c=Tilehurst&d=14&e=16&g=408243&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1348262903806&enc=1|work=Neighbourhood Statistics|publisher=Office for National Statistics|access-date=21 September 2012}}</ref> In the [[2001 UK Census|2001 census]] there were 14,683 residents in the parish of [[Tilehurst Without]].<ref name="ONS Head">{{cite web|title=Headcounts (Tilehurst CP)|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=791761&c=tilehurst&d=16&e=58&g=407392&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1343227601961&enc=1&dsFamilyId=779|work=Neighbourhood Statistics|publisher=Office for National Statistics|access-date=25 July 2012}}</ref>

== Economy ==
Until the late 19th century, the majority of working men in Tilehurst were employed in farming or similar agricultural work.<ref name="BFHS" /> The main industry associated with Tilehurst, however, was the manufacture of [[tile]]s. This industry was present in the district until recent times. The 1881 [[Census in the United Kingdom|UK census]] listed a number of men as being employed as brickmen in [[kiln]]s in the area.<ref name="BFHS" /> Written evidence of brickwork can be traced to the 1600s, but with the peak of production at around 1885. Kilns were established at Grovelands and [[Kentwood, Berkshire|Kentwood]]—both to the east of the settlement—with [[clay pit]]s being dug on [[Norcot]] Hill in an area now known as The Potteries.<ref name="BFHS" />

An overhead cable was used to transport the clay-filled buckets between the pits and the [[kiln]] across [[Norcot]] Road;<ref name="BFHS" /><ref name="WWIT">{{cite web|title=Points of Interest – McIlroy Park|url=http://www.walkontheweb.org.uk/mcilfrm.htm|publisher=Woodland Walks in Tilehurst|access-date=24 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010409220915/http://walkontheweb.org.uk/mcilfrm.htm|archive-date=9 April 2001}}</ref> this was shown on a 1942 map of the area as an "aerial cable" running from the [[clay pit]] in [[Kentwood, Berkshire|Kentwood]] to Grovelands works approximately {{convert|1.5|mi}} away.<ref name="1930s map">Pre-WWII – BERKSHIRE 1932–1936 (1:2,500)</ref> The cable was also included on the 1940s [[Ordnance Survey]] ''New Popular Edition'' maps, labelled as an "aerial ropeway".<ref name="OSNPE">OS NPO (Eng/Wales) 1945–1955 (1:50,000)</ref> An 1883 Ordnance Survey map of [[Berkshire]] shows a number of kilns in the Grovelands area (on the present-day Colliers Way estate)<ref name="BHO Grovelands">{{cite web|title=England – Berkshire: 037|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/mapsheet.aspx?compid=55107&sheetid=716&ox=2015&oy=216&zm=1&czm=1&x=117&y=248|work=Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 – Epoch 1 (1883)|publisher=British History Online|access-date=24 July 2012}}</ref> and one in Norcot near the present-day Lawrence Road.<ref name="BHO Norcot">{{cite web|title=England – Berkshire: 037|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/mapsheet.aspx?compid=55107&sheetid=716&ox=1687&oy=244&zm=1&czm=1&x=57&y=70|work=Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 – Epoch 1 (1883)|publisher=British History Online|access-date=24 July 2012}}</ref> The latter was more specifically named in the 1899 Pre-WWII 1:2,500 scale Berkshire map as "Norcot Kiln, Brick and Tile Works". By the 1920s, Tilehurst Potteries had been formally established at Kew Kiln on Kentwood Hill.<ref name="Geographia">{{citation|title=Map of Reading|publisher=Geographia Ltd|year=1977}}</ref><ref name="National Archives">{{cite web|title=Correspondence with Tilehurst Potteries (1922) Ltd, Kew Kiln, Tilehurst|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=005-dex15011600&cid=84-7#84-7|publisher=National Archives|access-date=24 July 2012}}</ref> By the 1960s, clay business had waned and the pits were closed in 1967.<ref name="BFHS" /><ref name="WWIT" />

== Architecture ==

[[File:Houses at Tilehurst - geograph.org.uk - 1521473.jpg|thumb|Late 20th-century housing estate]]

The architecture of Tilehurst ranges from 19th century [[thatched]] cottages<ref name="BFHS" /> to late 20th-century [[housing estate]]s. [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] and [[Edwardian architecture|Edwardian]] [[terraced house|terraces]]<ref name="Hill 49">{{cite book|last=Hill|first=Harold|title=Images of Reading and surrounding villages|year=1995|publisher=Breedon Books|location=Derby|isbn=1-85983-024-2|page=49}}</ref> (built using bricks from the Tilehurst [[kiln]]s) are common in the area; streets such as Blundells Road and [[Norcot]] Road display this type of architecture.<ref name="Hill 51">{{cite book|last=Hill|first=Harold|title=Images of Reading and surrounding villages|year=1995|publisher=Breedon Books|location=Derby|isbn=1-85983-024-2|page=51}}</ref><ref name="Hill 53">{{cite book|last=Hill|first=Harold|title=Images of Reading and surrounding villages|year=1995|publisher=Breedon Books|location=Derby|isbn=1-85983-024-2|page=53}}</ref> 

As the area expanded, a huge number of semi-detached dwellings were built in the mid-20th century,<ref name="Hill 49" /><ref name="Hill 50">{{cite book|last=Hill|first=Harold|title=Images of Reading and surrounding villages|year=1995|publisher=Breedon Books|location=Derby|isbn=1-85983-024-2|page=50}}</ref> in areas such as St Michael's Road (1930s)<ref name="Hill 50" /> and on the Berkshire Drive estate (1950s).<ref name="Hill 54">{{cite book|last=Hill|first=Harold|title=Images of Reading and surrounding villages|year=1995|publisher=Breedon Books|location=Derby|isbn=1-85983-024-2|page=54}}</ref> 

[[File:Park Lane Water Tower - geograph.org.uk - 9736.jpg|thumb|right|upright|The Tilehurst Water Tower was built in the 1930s, to provide water at pressure to the growing village population]]

Examples of unique architecture in Tilehurst include two water towers: [[Tilehurst Water Tower]] is a 1932 concrete building, open octagonal in design with [[Arcade (architecture)|arcading]] supporting a cylindrical drum;<ref name="BFHS" /><ref name="Tyack 487">{{cite book |last=Tyack |first=Geoffrey |title=Berkshire |year=2010 |publisher=Yale University Press |location=New Haven, CT |isbn=978-0-300-12662-4 |page=487 |author2=Simon Bradley |author3=Nikolaus Pevsner}}</ref> Norcot [[Water Tower]] is an 1890s brick building with tiered [[Blind arcade|blind arcading]].<ref name="Tyack 487" /> 

The Mansion House in [[Prospect Park, Reading|Prospect Park]] (19th century) is a [[Regency architecture|regency]] [[mansion]] built in [[Portland stone]].<ref name="Prospect listed">{{cite web|title=Prospect House, Prospect Park, Reading|url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-38758-prospect-house-prospect-park-reading|work=British Listed Buildings|publisher=English Heritage|access-date=26 July 2012}}</ref> The north and south faces feature [[Doric order|Doric]] and [[Ionic order]] [[portico]]s respectively.<ref name="Prospect listed" />

== Culture ==
Tilehurst has a [[horticultural society]]<ref name="THA">{{cite web|title=TILEHURST HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION|url=http://www.tilehurstallotments.co.uk/TextFrames/THAInfo.pdf|publisher=TILEHURST HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION|access-date=31 July 2012}}</ref> which holds a [[produce show]] annually in August.<ref name="THA" /><ref name="Surrey show">{{cite news|title=Gardeners' successes at Tilehurst village show|url=http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/2097903_gardeners_successes_at_tilehurst_village_show|access-date=31 July 2012|newspaper=Surrey Advertiser|date=11 August 2011}}</ref> The village has few establishments for [[performing arts]], as most are provided in Reading. An amateur dramatics society, the Triangle Players, is based in the village.<ref name="Triangle Players">{{cite web|title=History of the Group|url=http://triangleplayers.co.uk/History-of-the-Group.php|publisher=Triangle Players|access-date=31 July 2012}}</ref> A branch of the Allenova School of Dancing is also situated in Tilehurst.<ref name="ASoD">{{cite web|title=Allenova School of Dancing|url=http://www.allenova.co.uk/|publisher=Allenova School of Dancing|access-date=31 July 2012}}</ref> Tilehurst [[Square Dance]] Club draws dancers from Reading and beyond and has been operating since 1989.<ref name="TilehurstSDC">{{cite web|title=Tilehurst Square Dance Club|url=http://tilehurst.webplus.net/|publisher=Tilehurst Square Dance Club|access-date=4 June 2015}}</ref>

== Transport ==

[[File:Tilehurst railway station 3.JPG|thumb|Tilehurst station]]

[[Tilehurst railway station]] is located at the northern edge of the suburb. It is served regular [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]] services between {{rws|Didcot Parkway}}, [[Reading railway station|Reading]] and [[Paddington railway station|London Paddington]] on the [[Great Western Main Line]]. Journey times are approximately 54 minutes to London, five minutes to Reading and 20 minutes to Didcot. Connections to the south and south-west via the [[Reading to Taunton Line]] and the [[Reading to Basingstoke Line]] are made by changing at Reading.<ref> {{Cite web |work=Great Western Railway |title=Train Times |date=21 May 2023 |access-date=24 October 2023 |url= https://www.gwr.com/travel-information/train-times |quote=}}</ref>

[[Reading Buses]] services 15, 15a, 16, 17, 18 and 33 (with the 85, 86 and 87 serving Little Heath School) serve Tilehurst,<ref name="Reading Buses">{{cite web|title=Network Map|url=http://www.reading-buses.co.uk/files/maps/26Sept11/Network%20Map%20Sept11.pdf|publisher=Reading Transport|access-date=26 July 2012}}</ref> connecting the village to Reading, [[Purley on Thames|Purley]] and [[Theale]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tilehurst Bus Services |work=Bus Times |date=2023 |access-date=24 October 2023 |url= https://bustimes.org/localities/tilehurst |quote=}}</ref>

Tilehurst is bordered by two major roads: to the north by the [[A329 road|A329]] (connecting the village to Reading and Pangbourne) and to the south by the [[A4 road (England)|A4]] (connecting the village to Reading and [[Theale]]).<ref name="OS Exp" /> Non-[[arterial road]]s in Tilehurst saw a great improvement in the 1940s with the introduction of [[trolleybuses in Reading|trolleybuses]] in Reading.<ref name="Hill 52">{{cite book|last=Hill|first=Harold|title=Images of Reading and surrounding villages|year=1995|publisher=Breedon Books|location=Derby|isbn=1-85983-024-2|page=52}}</ref>

== Education ==
Tilehurst is served by two [[comprehensive school|comprehensive]] [[secondary school]]s: [[Denefield School]]<ref name="DfE Denefield">{{cite web|title=Establishment: Denefield School|url=http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/establishment/summary.xhtml?urn=110100|publisher=Department for Education|access-date=27 July 2012}}</ref> and [[Little Heath School]].<ref name="DfE Little Heath">{{cite web|title=Establishment: Little Heath School|url=http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/establishment/summary.xhtml?urn=110063|publisher=Department for Education|access-date=27 July 2012}}</ref> The catchment areas of [[King's Academy Prospect]] and [[Theale Green Community School]] also cover parts of Tilehurst.<ref name="WBC Schools">{{cite web|title=Parent's Guide to Admissions to Secondary Schools in West Berkshire 2009/10|url=http://www.westberks.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=16159&p=0|publisher=West Berkshire Council|access-date=27 July 2012}}</ref> 

Tilehurst is served by Brookfields School, a [[special school]] catering for students with moderate, severe or profound and multiple [[learning disability|learning disabilities]].<ref name="Brookfields">{{cite web|title=Brookfields School – a little about us|url=http://www.brookfieldsschool.org/school/Pages/default.aspx|publisher=Brookfields School|access-date=27 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701205151/http://www.brookfieldsschool.org/school/Pages/default.aspx|archive-date=1 July 2012}}</ref> 

[[Primary education]] in Tilehurst includes Birch Copse [[Primary School]], Downsway Primary School, Long Lane Primary School, English Martyrs' [[Roman Catholic|Catholic]] Primary School, Moorlands Primary School, Park Lane Primary School, Ranikhet Primary School, [[St Michael]]'s Primary School, [[St Paul]]'s Catholic Primary School, Springfield Primary School, Meadow Park Academy, Westwood Farm Infant School and Westwood Farm Junior School.<ref name="DfE Map">{{cite web|title=Map|url=http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/viewMap.xhtml?sessionId=e36a2072-ffff-ffff-8000-001f29c8d608_en_7F0000010AFC0AFB0AFA&filterHolderName=establishmentSearchHolder|publisher=Department for Education|access-date=27 July 2012}}</ref>

== Places of worship ==

[[File:St Michaels Church Tilehurst.jpg|right|thumb|The Church of St Michael]]

Tilehurst has a number of religious buildings covering numerous denominations: 
* The [[Church of St Michael, Tilehurst|Church of St Michael]], situated centrally in the [[parish]], is a brick church with a square [[bell tower|tower]].<ref name="Manor of Tilehurst 5" /> Parts of the building date from the 13th century,<ref name="Ford St Michaels">{{cite web|last=Ford|first=David Nash|title=Tilehurst St. Michael's Church|url=http://www.berkshirehistory.com/churches/tilehurst.html|work=Royal Berkshire History|publisher=Nash Ford Publishing|access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref> replacing an earlier church thought to have been built in 1189.<ref name="Ford St Michaels" /> Sir [[Peter Vanlore]] is buried in the church's [[Lady chapel]].<ref name="Manor of Tilehurst 7">{{cite book|last=Blagrave|first=J R|title=The Manor of Tylehurst|year=1834|location=Southcote|page=7|isbn=978-1-01-954529-4 |url=https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=c8wHAAAAQAAJ}}</ref> 
* The [[Anglican church]] of [[St Catherine of Siena]] was built in the [[Little Heath, Berkshire|Little Heath]] area of Tilehurst from 1962 to 1964.<ref name="St Catherine of Siena">{{cite web|title=A Little History|url=http://homepage.ntlworld.com/stuart.poore/Churches/StCatherines/St_C_History_Fr.htm|publisher=St Catherine of Siena|access-date=30 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019194632/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/stuart.poore/Churches/StCatherines/St_C_History_Fr.htm|archive-date=19 October 2013}}</ref> 
* A [[Methodist church]] is near the village centre,<ref name="Tilehurst Methodist Church">{{cite web|title=Tilehurst Methodist Church|url=http://www.tilehurstmethodist.org.uk/|publisher=Tilehurst Methodist Church|access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref> and a [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Latter-day Saints]] church opened in Tilehurst in the 1970s.<ref name="BFHS" /> 
* The [[Roman Catholic church]] of [[St Joseph]] was built in Park Lane from 1955 to 1956.<ref name="St Joseph's Tilehurst">{{cite web|title=A Brief History of St Joseph's|url=http://www.st-josephs-tilehurst.org.uk/|publisher=St Joseph's Tilehurst|access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref> 
* Tilehurst also has a [[United Reformed Church]]<ref name="URC Group Reading">{{cite web|title=Our Church|url=http://urcreading.moonfruit.com/#/our-church/4565298822|publisher=URC Group Reading|access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref> (built on the site of an early 19th-century [[Congregational Chapel]]<ref name="BFHS" />), a Bethel [[United Church]],<ref name="Reading Churches">{{cite web|title=Reading Churches|url=http://www.xnmedia.co.uk/index.php/churches/reading-churches|publisher=X N Media|access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref> and Anglican churches dedicated to [[St George]] and [[St Mary Magdalen]].<ref name="Reading Churches" /> 

Tilehurst does not have any [[synagogue]]s, [[mosque]]s or [[gurdwara]]s; the nearest are in [[West Reading, Berkshire|West Reading]],<ref name="Reading Hebrew Congregation">{{cite web|title=Synagogue|url=http://www.rhc.org.uk/rhc/Synagogue.html|publisher=Reading Hebrew Congregation|access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref> central Reading,<ref name="BAGR">{{cite web|title=BAGR Profile|url=http://www.readingmosque.com/about.php|publisher=Bangladesh Association Greater Reading|access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref> and [[East Reading]] respectively.<ref name="BBC gurdwara">{{cite news|title=Reading Sikh community plans new Gurdwara|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-14458306|access-date=30 July 2012|newspaper=BBC Berkshire|date=9 August 2011}}</ref>

== Sport ==
Tilehurst has been represented in numerous sports for over a century:

* Tilehurst [[Cricket]] Club has existed since at least 1883.<ref name="Bishop 2007">{{cite book|last=Bishop|first=Martin|title=Bats, Balls and Biscuits|year=2007|publisher=Purley on Thames CC}}</ref> The club originally played on Church End Lane. While the exact location of the ground is unknown, it is likely that it was on a [[recreation ground]] behind the present-day Moorlands School.<ref name="TTCC History">{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.thealeandtilehurst.co.uk/history.php|publisher=Theale and Tilehurst CC|access-date=26 July 2012}}</ref> Victoria Recreation Ground was established in 1897 and the cricket club began using the new park as their ground at some point after this.<ref name="Handscomb 1995">{{cite book|last=Handscomb|first=Sue|title=Tilehurst|year=1995|publisher=Alan Sutton in association with Berkshire Books|location=Stroud|isbn=0750909528}}</ref> The club joined the Reading and District Cricket League in 1900; the [[Reading Chronicle]] reported on the club's first game—a loss to nearby Grovelands CC—by saying: "Tilehurst were but poorly represented, several of their best players not having signed the required fourteen days and they had to play ten men only".<ref name="TTCC History" /> Tilehurst joined the newly formed [[Hampshire]] League in 1973, proving successful in their first two seasons.<ref name="TTCC History" /> Between 1991 and 1996, Tilehurst played in the [[Berkshire]] League. The following year, Tilehurst CC merged with Theale CC to form [[Theale]] and Tilehurst [[Cricket]] Club. The reason for the merger is attributed to Theale's lack of players but good facilities and Tilehurst's surplus of players but lack of facilities.<ref name="TTCC History" /> The club now play at [[Englefield, Berkshire|Englefield]] Road, Theale, in the [[Thames Valley Cricket League]].<ref name="TTCC History" /> 
* Tilehurst is represented by three football teams: Barton Rovers,<ref name="Barton History">{{cite web|title=Our History| date=19 November 2011 |url=http://www.bartonroversfc.com/?page_id=50|publisher=Barton Rovers|access-date=26 July 2012}}</ref> Tilehurst Panthers<ref name="Panthers About">{{cite web|title=About Us|url=http://www.tilehurstpanthers.com/aboutus.htm|publisher=Tilehurst Panthers|access-date=26 July 2012}}</ref> and Westwood Wanderers. Barton Rovers, established in 1982, are based at Turnham's Farm, [[Little Heath, Berkshire|Little Heath]].<ref name="Barton Find Us">{{cite web|title=Find Us| date=19 November 2011 |url=http://www.bartonroversfc.com/?page_id=36|publisher=Barton Rovers|access-date=26 July 2012}}</ref> 
* Tilehurst Panthers, established in 2006, are a ladies team based at [[Denefield School]] and the [[Cotswold]] Sports Centre.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/womens-football-reading-fran-kirby-9565966|title=Women's football teams to play for in Reading|first=Neil|last=Macdonald-READ|date=1 July 2015|website=BerkshireLive}}</ref> 
* Westwood Wanderers were established in 1972 and are a men's team based at the Cotswold Sports Centre. The team play their home matches at Denefield School. 
* [[Reading Racers]] were based at Reading [[Greyhound]] [[Stadium]] from 1968 until the stadium's demolition in 1975.<ref name="Reading Racers">{{cite web|title=Reading Speedway (Tilehurst)|url=http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/reading%20Tilehurst.htm|publisher=Defunct Speedway Tracks|access-date=31 July 2012}}</ref> The team then moved to [[Smallmead Stadium]], south of Reading.<ref name="Reading Racers" />

== Notable residents ==
*[[Bryan Adams]], musician, lived in Tilehurst in the 1960s while his father was stationed in the [[United Kingdom]]<ref name="GR rough">{{cite news|title=The rough ( as in quirky facts that are probably true) guide to Reading.|url=http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/8223_the_rough__as_in_quirky_facts_that_are_probably_true_guide_to_reading|access-date=31 July 2012|newspaper=Reading Evening Post|date=7 November 2003}}</ref>
*[[Jacqueline Bisset]], actress, grew up in Tilehurst in a 17th-century country cottage, where she now lives part of the year{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}
*[[Kenneth Branagh]], actor, attended Meadway School in the 1970s<ref name="TES Branagh">{{cite web|last=Frankel|first=Hannah|title=My best teacher – Kenneth Branagh|url=http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6011305|publisher=Times Educational Supplement|access-date=31 July 2012}}</ref>
*[[Tim Dinsdale]], searcher for the [[Loch Ness Monster]].<ref name=Times1967>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Loch Ness Hunt |work=The Times|location=London |date=22 July 1967 |page=2}}</ref>
*[[Mike Oldfield]], musician, grew up in Tilehurst<ref name="Maconie 113">{{cite book|last=Maconie|first=Stuart|title=Adventures on the high teas|year=2009|publisher=Ebury|location=London|isbn=978-0091926502|page=[https://archive.org/details/adventuresonhigh0000maco/page/133 133]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/adventuresonhigh0000maco/page/133}}</ref>
*[[Zac Purchase]], Olympic gold medal winning rower, lived on the Dee Road estate<ref>{{Cite web |last=getreading |date=2009-06-11 |title=Palace date for rower Zac Purchase |url=http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/other-sport/palace-date-rower-zac-purchase-4237575 |access-date=2023-08-19 |website=BerkshireLive |language=en}}</ref>
*[[Ayrton Senna]], [[Formula 1]] driver, lived on the Pottery Road estate in the 1980s<ref name="Ayrton Senna">{{cite news|last1=Cassell|first1=Paul|last2=Pyle|first2=Mike|title=Ayrton Senna a legend... but not in the garden|url=http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2095008_ayrton_senna_a_legend_but_not_in_the_garden|access-date=31 July 2012|newspaper=Reading Evening Post|date=23 June 2011}}</ref>
*Sir [[Peter Vanlore]] (1547–1627) bought Tilehurst [[Manor house|Manor]] and lived there with his wife Lady Jacoba van Loor (daughter of Henri Thibault).

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Tilehurst}}
* [http://www.tilehurstpc.co.uk/ Tilehurst Parish Council]
* [http://www.berkshirehistory.com/villages/tilehurst.html Royal Berkshire History: Tilehurst]

{{Reading, Berkshire}}
{{West Berkshire}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Tilehurst| ]]
[[Category:Suburbs of Reading, Berkshire]]
[[Category:Former civil parishes in Berkshire]]