People, Places & Events

The list that follows is far from comprehensive (!) – however, here are details of a few of the places of historical interest that have been associated with Caversham and Emmer Green. Some of the places and buildings have vanished forever – but most still remain. We’ve also included a brief biography of William the Marshal, who lived in Caversham and ruled England in the 13rh century as its Regent.

» Buckside
» Caversham Court Gardens
» Caversham House
» Caversham Lodge / Caversham Manor / Caversham Park House
» The Caversham Public Convenience
» The Caversham Shrine – “Shrine of Our Lady of Caversham”
» Fry’s (de Montfort) Island
» Piper’s Island
» St Anne’s Well (the Holy Well of St Anne)
» St Peter’s Church
» William Marshal

Buckside

Buckside is a track off Church Road near the Griffin pub. This is a very old track down to the river, dating back to when eel-fishing was a way of life for some. The baskets made out of willow rods to catch the eels were known as bucks – hence the name Buckside. The bucks remained in operation until the early years of the 20th century, with the publican of the ‘Griffin’ having the rights to the eels that were caught.

Caversham Court Gardens

The site of the former Caversham Court is also off Church Road, just a little further up from Buckside. The Gardens are a Reading Borough Council-maintained public garden, fronting the Thames near the base of St Peter’s Hill. The Gardens originally formed part of the grounds surrounding the old Caversham Rectory. The old Rectory building was renamed Caversham Court in 1916, but was finally demolished in 1933. The associated gardens (designed by the Victorian architect Augustus Pugin) were gradually allowed by the Council to fall into disrepair until very recently, when a major restoration programme began at the site. In July 2007 the RBC officially agreed to accept a £1.4m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for restoration work at the Gardens, with the Council putting an additional £385,000 into the scheme. (Of course, if they hadn't let them rot in the first place then the work would probably be unnecessary now and the money spent on the ongoing upkeep in the intervening years would probably have been a lot less.) Work will include a series of improvements, including the building of an environmental pond, the repair of the 17th century gazebo at the site and repair to the Court’s ‘crinkle-crankle’ retaining wall at the back of the Gardens (behind the allotments, perhaps best viewed from above in the St Peter’s Church graveyard). One of the wall’s bricks has 1774 scratched on it - which gives some idea of its age.

Caversham House

Caversham House was a former Georgian house that was demolished in 1966 to make way for the St Martins Shopping Precinct in the centre of Caversham. Mature trees from the garden of Caversham House still stand in the Precinct. The house had originally been a private home (its owners included Sir Rufane Donkin, after whom Caversham’s Donkin Hill was named), but it became a school in 1849 after being bought by Frank Knighton. The large white house remained as a school until the First World War, and then reverted back to being a private home – which gradually became more and more ruinous until its final destruction.

Caversham Lodge / Caversham Manor / Caversham Park House

Caversham Lodge is the alternative name for Caversham Manor, on the site of Caversham Park (in Emmer Green, just to the north of Caversham). Sir Francis Knollys built the Manor house on its present site in the late 1580s (probably beginning in 1588). Knollys was a member of the Privy Council - his son William (also a Privy Councillor) entertained Elizabeth 1 at the Manor when she visited him in 1601 in Caversham. William Knollys also entertained Queen Anne, consort of James I here.

The Lodge / Manor fell into disrepair during the Civil War, but was rebuilt by William Cadogan in the early years of the 18th century. He also made extensive improvements to the grounds of Caversham Park. The house was destroyed by fire on more than one occasion over the next two centuries - notably in 1838, when the Crawshay family owned it. The Oratory School purchased the site in 1920, and eventually passed it on to the BBC Monitoring Services - the BBC still retain the house (now known as Caversham Park House) and substantial grounds today - although with much less ground than before, for Caversham Park Village covers many acres of the former Caversham Park Although Caversham Park House is not open to the public, it is still visible from many places in Caversham and Reading with its dominant position on the hill. The current building is one of the first iron-frame houses in Britain. (Incidentally, there is a very interesting and helpful book by J. Malpass on Caversham Park and its owners, which should be available from local libraries).

The Caversham Public Convenience

The Caversham Public Convenience (!) is no longer in Caversham, but is still viewable and definitely worth a mention. The Convenience was built for tramway passengers at the Electric Tramway terminus on Caversham Bridge (Reading side). Back in 1906, the convenience was open from 6am to midnight. It is constructed of decorative iron panels, slotted into cast iron poles, all made at Walter MacFarlane's foundy in Glasgow. In 1985 the building was donated by the Council to the Chilterns Open Air Museum, dismantled by volunteers helped by the Berkshire Industrial Archeological Group and repaired and re-erected over the years 1987-1991. Despite having fallen into disrepair by 1985, when it came to be put back together, only 11 of the 451 panels had to be cast again. And, as a fitting tribute to such a building, we're pleased to be able to say it is still in use, and won 'Loo of the Year' in 1992.

The Convenience is now restored, in use and at the Chiltern Open Air Museum (COAM), and there's a photo of it on their web site. (Information from Colin Seymour's Tram Photos & Information site - with all due acknowledgements.)

» COAM Web Site

The Caversham Shrine

Caversham had a shrine of local importance during the early Middle Ages (probably from the early 1100s), dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary Our Lady of Caversham. Its location is debated, but it is likely it was based in fields close to (or now submerged by) the River Thames. As with St Peter’s Church, the shrine was under the control of Notley Abbey, and it became known as a richly ornate venue for pilgrims, adorned with gifts of gold, jewels and silver – as well as relics including a small piece of iron believed to be part of the spear that pierced Christ’s side. The shrine was finally destroyed as part of the dissolution in September, 1538 – there is no trace of it left today.

Fry's (or de Montfort) Island

Fry’s Island is on the River Thames between Caversham and Reading Bridges. Looking at it now, it is not that hard to imagine the scene that would have greeted an onlooker on the 8th April 1163. The island was chosen by Henry II as an interference-free site for a duel between two of his knights, Henry de Essex and Robert de Montfort, to settle a charge of cowardice. (Needless to say given the island's subsequent name, de Montfort won the day, although de Essex survived and spent the rest of his life in Reading Abbey.)

Piper’s Island

A letter to the ‘Evening Post’ provided some interesting background on Piper's Island - close to Caversham Bridge (and now home to a bar). According to the letter, when the first Caversham Bridge was due to be replaced with an iron one in 1869, waterman James Piper and his family were living on the island - and refused to move out. Authorities finally moved the Piper family's cottage in its entirety using "a new American technique" - to a safer site a few yards away. The house weighed 150 tons and operation lasted three hours. Not a pane of glass was broken, and "Piper's Island remains as a memorial to one of the most stubborn Victorian ferrymen in Caversham". (Reading Evening Post 12/12/07 p31)

St Anne's Well (‘The Holy Well of St Anne’)

The Holy Well of St Anne is near the top of Priest Hill, on the south side of the road. Dating back to medieval times, its mineral spring waters had a reputation for healing properties, and it became a destination for pilgrims. Its popularity declined over the ages, and the location of the well was lost at some point during the 18th century. The well was not rediscovered until 1906, when workmen chanced upon it. A memorial drinking fountain was built at the site, and it was officially dedicated in a Caversham Urban District Council ceremony on April 19th, 1908.

St Peter's Church

St Peter’s Church on St Peter’s Hill is the main church in Caversham, with origins dating back to Norman times. The exact date of construction is unknown, but it certainly predates 1162, when the church was donated with associated land to the control of Notley Abbey, Long Crendon. The church survived the Abbey’s dissolution, but was partially destroyed in the Civil War. Over the centuries several alterations and additions have taken place - especially in Victorian and Edwardian times to accommodate the growing population of Caversham. In passing, there's a detailed map of Caversham dating back to the late 1880s at the rear of the church – notable for showing how the built-up area of the parish has grown over the last 120 years or so.

William Marshal

William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1146 – 14 May 1219), also called William the Marshal was an English soldier and statesman – and Caversham’s most renowned resident. He was described at his funeral as the "greatest knight that ever lived" by Cardinal Langton in 1219 – having risen from origins as a landless younger son to become one of the most powerful men in Europe.

His title ‘Earl Marshal" designated a sort of head of household security for the king of England. The title was hereditary - William’s elder brother had been Earl Marshal to Richard I, but died during the latter’s reign. William, who had previously made a living (and serious reputation) as a knight from winning jousting tournaments, assumed his brother’s title, and was granted land including the Manor of Caversham. In the year 1200 King John appointed William as Earl Marshal of England – effectively making him one of the most powerful Barons in the country. He served as the intermediary between the King and the other barons at the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215, and seems to have tolerated John despite the bad behaviour of the latter.

After the death of John, William Marshal served as both protector of the 9-year old King Henry III, and as Regent of England. He had to contend with the chaotic legacy of John – war with the French and rebel barons, who wanted to gain control of the country. In spite of his advanced age (around 70) he fought effectively, and the French were finally defeated as a result of naval victory in the straits of Dover. Described as a master of self-restraint and compromise, it’s fair to say that William helped save England for Henry III – he died on May 14, 1219 at Caversham, and was buried in the Temple Church in London, where his effigy can still be seen.

The information on this page is culled from numerous sources. It is not our intention to infringe anyone's copyright and if we do so, we do inadvertently. In such an event, please contact us and we will remove the offending item immediately.