Exlade Street is a
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
in
Checkendon
Checkendon is a village and civil parish about west of Henley-on-Thames in South Oxfordshire and about north west of Reading in Berkshire on a mid-height swathe of the Chilterns.
History
The parish has a record of continuous settlement since ...
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
in
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...
, about northwest of
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
, in the
Chiltern Hills
The Chiltern Hills is a chalk escarpment in England.
The area, northwest of London, covers stretching from Goring-on-Thames in the southwest to Hitchin in the northeast - across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshire. ...
. The hamlet is about above sea level.
Toponymy
The
toponym
Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of '' toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...
is derived from the
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
personal name ''Ecgi'' and ', meaning "valley".
[Lobel, 1962, pages 93–112] was originally an ancient British upland farm complex owned by Ecgi and set in the valley today occupied by Exlade Street. Exlade is also recorded variously as Hekeslad (1241) Egesflade (1278) Eggeslade (1285) Egeslade (1360) Egslade (1366) and Egguslhade (1406). By the later medieval period, 'street' was often used to describe straggling villages in areas of late woodland clearance. Such places as Exlade Street in the
Chilterns and
Paley Street
Paley Street is a small village in the civil parishes of White Waltham and Bray, Berkshire, Bray in the England, English county of Berkshire. It is situated about south of Maidenhead and west of Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor. By the later medieval ...
east of
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
are instances.
History
Evidence of the activity of early man in the area was found when a Neolithic flint tranchet axe (5 1/2 inches long) dating from circa 3,000 BC was dug up in the garden of Mulberry Cottage and this is now held in
Reading Museum
Reading Museum (run by the Reading Museum Service) is a museum of the history of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire, and the surrounding area. It is accommodated within Reading Town Hall, and contains galleries describing th ...
. In early Medieval time Exlade Street was a dependent settlement of
South Stoke and the earliest written record of it dates from 1241. From 1094 South Stoke and its dependent settlements belonged to
Eynsham Abbey
Eynsham Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Eynsham, Oxfordshire, in England between 1005 and 1538. King Æthelred allowed Æthelmær the Stout to found the abbey in 1005. There is some evidence that the abbey was built on the site of an earlie ...
.
[ In 1366 the Abbey had of wood at Exlade Street.][
Early references show an Exlade Street resident, John de Eggeslade, recorded as a Witness at the Oxford Coroners Court on Friday, 8 June 1324 John was obviously a popular Exlade Street name as another John de Eggesalde is also recorded in the ]Benson Benson may refer to:
Animals
*Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain
Places Geography
Canada
*Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality
*Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet
United Kingdom
* Benson, Oxfordshire ...
Manor rolls in May 1400 standing bail for William Shaldeston - who had been excommunicated by, Henry, Bishop of Lincoln
The Bishop of Lincoln is the ordinary (diocesan bishop) of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury.
The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and ...
. In 1323 Walter son and heir of Peter Cock' of Checkendon
Checkendon is a village and civil parish about west of Henley-on-Thames in South Oxfordshire and about north west of Reading in Berkshire on a mid-height swathe of the Chilterns.
History
The parish has a record of continuous settlement since ...
to Sweyn de Mortele and Alice his wife: Grant of rents from tenements in Exlade, in South Stoke (Eggeslade in Stoke Abbots) (it is speculated that Cocks Hill in Exlade Street may have got its name from the family of Peter Cock who owned land in Exlade Street and Checkendon) and 1362 sees the sale of land in Eggeslade by Henry de Aldrynton' and Elizabeth, his wife. Dame Isabel Pryour, lady of Shiplake
Shiplake consists of three settlements: Shiplake, Shiplake Cross and Lower Shiplake. Together these villages form a civil parish situated beside the River Thames south of Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. The river forms the parish bounda ...
rent from Thomas Hoke, John Crouche, and John Passelewe of Egslade: a tenement called 'le Cokus' and land in Checkendon in 1399. The land Le Cokus may be the current Corkers Farm - which is located just above the Exlade Street
The Passelewe family also owned Payables farm and many worked as woodwards - who managed the woodland which surrounded Exlade Street and was owned by Eynsham Abbey
Eynsham Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Eynsham, Oxfordshire, in England between 1005 and 1538. King Æthelred allowed Æthelmær the Stout to found the abbey in 1005. There is some evidence that the abbey was built on the site of an earlie ...
.[Medieval Woods in the Oxfordshire Chilterns. By P.C. PREECE] Abbot's wood is just east of Exlade Street comprising 348 acres and was given to Eynsham abbey in 1109, the abbey retained Abbot's wood, which first appears under this name in 1536,until the dissolution of the monasteries, when it was given to Christ Church and became known as Abbotts or College wood. Holly Shaw (a strip of woodland on the edge of the Hamlet) is another indication of the wooded nature of the land. Shaws, in the Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...
Chilterns, were strips of woodland left as field boundaries after the clearance of woodland
In 1597, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
El ...
, it was recorded that the vicar of South Stoke held services at St. Leonard
Leonard of Noblac (also Leonard of Limoges or Leonard of Noblet; also known as Lienard, Linhart, Leonhard, Léonard, Leonardo, Annard; died 559), is a Franks, Frankish saint closely associated with the town and abbey of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, ...
's Woodcote
Woodcote is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, about southeast of Wallingford and about northwest of Reading, Berkshire. It is in the Chiltern Hills, and the highest part of the village is above sea level. Woodcote lies betwee ...
only on Christmas Day, Easter Day and a few other days each year. Some worshippers travelled 3 miles (4.8 km) each way to South Stoke to go to church, but most preferred to travel less than 1 mile (1.6 km) to Saint Peter and Saint Paul
''Saint Peter and Saint Paul'' is a painting by the Cretan-Spanish artist El Greco. The work was completed between 1590 and 1600. It is currently on display at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, who purchased the work in 1932.
Description ...
in the adjacent parish of Checkendon
Checkendon is a village and civil parish about west of Henley-on-Thames in South Oxfordshire and about north west of Reading in Berkshire on a mid-height swathe of the Chilterns.
History
The parish has a record of continuous settlement since ...
. The law obliged everyone to worship in their own parishes, so since 1595 the Rector of Checkendon had prosecuted people from Exlade Street in the local archdeacon's court for coming to his church. In response the faithful of Exlade Street and Woodcote petitioned John Whitgift
John Whitgift (c. 1530 – 29 February 1604) was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1583 to his death. Noted for his hospitality, he was somewhat ostentatious in his habits, sometimes visiting Canterbury and other towns attended by a retinue of 8 ...
, Archbishop of Canterbury
The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justi ...
for permission to worship at Checkendon. Whitgift granted the request, so long as they continued to attend their parish church in South Stoke four times a year
World War Two
Leslie Marcham - Private 4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was a light infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until 1958, serving in the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II.
The regiment was formed as a consequence of th ...
- Died 30 May 1944 is recorded on the Woodcote
Woodcote is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, about southeast of Wallingford and about northwest of Reading, Berkshire. It is in the Chiltern Hills, and the highest part of the village is above sea level. Woodcote lies betwee ...
War Memorial. Marcham worked for Lawrence Hignett at Hook End Farm, Checkendon
Checkendon is a village and civil parish about west of Henley-on-Thames in South Oxfordshire and about north west of Reading in Berkshire on a mid-height swathe of the Chilterns.
History
The parish has a record of continuous settlement since ...
before joining up. He was already a member of the Territorial Army and is believed to have been one of the first local boys to be called up for active service. His family lived opposite The Greyhound (now The Highwayman).
RAF Woodcote
In September 1941 the RAF
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
announced that four new Equipment Dispersal Depots were then under construction and that No.70 Woodcote
Woodcote is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, about southeast of Wallingford and about northwest of Reading, Berkshire. It is in the Chiltern Hills, and the highest part of the village is above sea level. Woodcote lies betwee ...
was one of them. It was to be placed in No.40 Group, Maintenance Command. A Headquarters Site and three separate sites needed to be built, to apart and not unduly conspicuous from the air and therefore difficult to attack. The attraction of the local area was the ancient beech woodlands on the edge of the village, most of which was owned by Christ Church. The woodland provided a natural camouflage from the air. A total of over of mixed woodland and open pasture bordered by some of winding country lanes was requisitioned on compulsory leases from a number of local landowners on a total compensation rental of £100 pa.
Site 3 covered on the edges of the road to Exlade Street. The site to the west of the road and also bordering Deadmans Lane was owned also by Christ Church College, while the site to the east was owned by Lawrence Hignett. The initial establishment was eight RAF
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
Officers and 476 civilians and during the next few months the civilian establishment was increased to 755. The role of the Unit was to hold a range of stores for the use of the RAF. Evidence of the huge amount of equipment, stores and buildings hidden in the local woods can still be seen in Abbey Wood with large concrete foundations, water storage tanks and blast shelters.
Buildings
Exlade Street currently has twelve private houses and a pub. Many of the houses are Grade II listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
buildings and started life as farms and farm/woodland workers' cottages. Carter's Cottage, the oldest building surviving is a cruck
A cruck or crook frame is a curved timber, one of a pair, which support the roof of a building, historically used in England and Wales. This type of timber framing consists of long, generally naturally curved, timber members that lean inwards and ...
cottage that dates from before 1550. The public house
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
, the Highwayman Inn, was formally called The Greyhound, and also dates from the 16th century. The hamlet used to be larger, but it is known that two houses burnt down in the early part of last century. The Exlade Street blacksmith's forge
A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to th ...
previously stood in the car park of the Highwayman Inn and several large barns existed for the storage and working of wood from the local area. It is estimated, by the South Oxfordshire Archaeological Group (SOAG), that up to 30 additional buildings existed. In the 1980s SOAG's founder, Cynthia Graham Kerr, researched the buildings and landscape of Exlade Street. SOAG and the Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...
Woodland Group are now leading a new multipart project, which includes: searching for lost buildings; understanding how local timber buildings were constructed and studying how the local woodlands were exploited for these purposes, in particular how extant sawpits were used to convert timbers.[South Oxfordshire Archaeological Group]
One of the houses in Exlade Street, White Shutters, has a bench mark recorded on the side. This is a rare chiseled horizontal marks that surveyors made in stone structures, into which an angle-iron could be placed to form a "bench" for a leveling rod, thus ensuring that a leveling rod could be accurately repositioned in the same place in the future. These marks were usually indicated with a chiseled arrow below the horizontal line.
References
18. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benchmark_(surveying)
https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Benchmark_on_%27White_Shutters%27,_Exlade_Street_-_geograph.org.uk_-_2270831.jpg
Sources
*
*
{{South Oxfordshire
Hamlets in Oxfordshire