Southcote, Berkshire
Encyclopedia
Southcote is a suburb
and local government ward
of Reading
in the English
county of Berkshire
.
The suburb of Southcote is bounded to the north by the Bath Road (A4) and Prospect Park, to the west by the more recently developed suburb of Fords Farm
, to the south by the Holy Brook
and the water meadows of the Kennet Valley
, and to the east by the railway line from Reading to Basingstoke
and the suburb of Coley Park
.
The suburb has been built largely on the lands of Southcote Manor. The manor house was demolished in 1921, but was once home to both John Blagrave
, the famous Tudor
mathematician
, and his nephew Daniel Blagrave
, Member of Parliament
for Reading and signatory of King Charles I's
death warrant.
The suburb lies entirely within Southcote ward of the Borough of Reading
. However the ward also includes Prospect Park
, together with parts of Horncastle
and West Reading
north of the Bath Road that would not normally be considered part of Southcote. The ward is within the Reading West parliamentary constituency.
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
and local government ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
of Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
.
The suburb of Southcote is bounded to the north by the Bath Road (A4) and Prospect Park, to the west by the more recently developed suburb of Fords Farm
Fords Farm
Fords Farm is a suburb within Reading in the English county of Berkshire.Fords Farm lies south of the Bath Road west of the centre of Reading....
, to the south by the Holy Brook
Holy Brook
The Holy Brook is a channel of the River Kennet in the vicinity of the English town of Reading, Berkshire. While of considerable historical significance, the origin and nature of the brook is still unclear...
and the water meadows of the Kennet Valley
River Kennet
The Kennet is a river in the south of England, and a tributary of the River Thames. The lower reaches of the river are navigable to river craft and are known as the Kennet Navigation, which, together with the Avon Navigation, the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Thames, links the cities of Bristol...
, and to the east by the railway line from Reading to Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
and the suburb of Coley Park
Coley Park
Coley Park is a suburb of the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire. It is largely built on the estate of a country house of the same name.-Location:...
.
The suburb has been built largely on the lands of Southcote Manor. The manor house was demolished in 1921, but was once home to both John Blagrave
John Blagrave
John Blagrave was an English mathematician.He was probably born in the vicinity of Reading in 1561, to John Blagrave of Bulmershe Court at Earley and his wife, Anne, daughter of Sir Anthony Hungerford of Down Ampney in Gloucestershire...
, the famous Tudor
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
, and his nephew Daniel Blagrave
Daniel Blagrave
Daniel Blagrave was a prominent resident of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. He was Member of Parliament for the Parliamentary Borough of Reading over several periods between 1640 and 1660, and was also one of the signatories of King Charles I's death warrant.Daniel...
, Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Reading and signatory of King Charles I's
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
death warrant.
The suburb lies entirely within Southcote ward of the Borough of Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
. However the ward also includes Prospect Park
Prospect Park, Reading
Prospect Park is both a public park and a historic house at Tilehurst in the western suburbs of the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire. It is at .Prospect Park was originally the site of Dirle's Farm and part of the estate of Calcot Park...
, together with parts of Horncastle
Horncastle, Berkshire
Horncastle is an area of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It is situated on the A4 Bath Road to the west of central Reading, at a point where the Reading suburbs of Southcote, Calcot and Tilehurst all meet, and is designated as a conservation area.Today largely surrounded on...
and West Reading
West Reading, Berkshire
West Reading is a district of the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire.-Geography:The district has no formal boundaries, but the name is generally used to refer to the area to the west of Reading's town centre, to the north of the suburbs of Coley and Southcote, to the east of the...
north of the Bath Road that would not normally be considered part of Southcote. The ward is within the Reading West parliamentary constituency.