Twyford, Berkshire
Encyclopedia
For other places of the same name, see Twyford
.
Twyford is a village and civil parish in the English
Royal county of Berkshire
. It is situated, at , in the heart of the Thames Valley
on the A4 between Reading
and Maidenhead
, close to Henley-on-Thames
and Wokingham
.
in origin, and means double ford. It is a common name in England
. Twyford did, as the name suggests, have two fords, on the Old Bath Road to the west of the centre. Both are now bridged.
William Penn
, founder of Pennsylvania
, spent the final years of his life in Ruscombe Fields, a property close to Twyford, and is remembered by a residential street named 'Pennfields'.
Twyford was primarily an agriculturally based settlement until the coming of the railway in 1838 placed it on the main line to the west and subsequently made it a junction for the Henley Branch Line. However, its position on the Bath Road had always brought activity which was centred on the King's Arms, an important coaching inn. The opening of a by-pass in 1929 finally ended the east-west flow of main road traffic through the centre, but Twyford is still on a busy north-south route from Wokingham in the south to Henley in the north. The greatest expansion, however, has taken place since the Second World War, particularly in the last 50 years, with the construction of several estates to the north and south of the village. The population at the 2001 census was 6216, but Twyford is still affectionately known by the residents as a village.
It does, however, possess a substantial supermarket Waitrose
, and other retail outlets, which makes it the local centre for the northern part of Wokingham district. A Tesco
Express is due to open in February 2012. The village is considered an affluent area where property prices are significantly higher than the national average. Twyford also has one of the lowest levels of unemployment in the country.
, and the ceremonial county
of Berkshire
. Before this it was in Wokingham Rural District
and the hundred
of Charlton
. Before 1895, Twyford was part of the parish of Hurst
, within the liberty
of Broad Hinton. Between the 13th century and 1844, Broad Hinton was officially
a detached part of Wiltshire
.
, M40
and M3
motorways and 40 km/25 miles from the M25
. Twyford railway station
is on the Great Western Main Line
and served by trains between Reading and London Paddington
stations. These transport links make Twyford very popular with commuters
. The town of Reading
is 10 km (6.2 mi) to the west, with Maidenhead
12 km (7.5 mi) to the east and Henley-on-Thames
8 km (5 mi) to the north. London is 56 km (34.8 mi) to the east.
1. King George's Field (aka The Rec), lying between London Road and Wargrave Road has football pitches, 3 tennis courts, children's playgrounds and a youth shelter. A project to build a skate park and ball court in the field was completed in July 2008.
2. Stanlake Meadow, off Waltham Road, has football pitches, a cricket square used by Twyford & Ruscombe Cricket Club and a pavilion which is also used as a nursery school.
Indoor sports clubs use the parish hall, Loddon Hall. This is a joint facility with the neighbouring parish of Ruscombe
.
Twyford also has a youth football club called Twyford Comets who play on both of the recreation grounds described above.
Twyford also has a tennis club, a bowls club with its own green and claims to have the oldest Badminton
club in the country.
was born in Twyford.
The Home Secretary and MP for Maidenhead Theresa May
lives near Twyford, which is part of her constituency.
Twyford
Twyford is the name of more than one place. The place name is Anglo-Saxon and means 'double ford'.-Places:In the United Kingdom:*Twyford, Berkshire*Twyford, Buckinghamshire*Twyford, Derbyshire*Twyford, Dorset*Twyford, Hampshire*Twyford, Herefordshire...
.
Twyford is a village and civil parish 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...
Royal 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...
. It is situated, at , in the heart of the Thames Valley
Thames Valley
The Thames Valley Region is a loose term for the English counties and towns roughly following the course of the River Thames as it flows from Oxfordshire in the west to London in the east. It includes parts of Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, North Hampshire, Surrey and west London...
on the A4 between 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....
and Maidenhead
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
, close to Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
and Wokingham
Wokingham
Wokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England about west of central London. It is about east-southeast of Reading and west of Bracknell. It spans an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 30,403...
.
History
The town's name is Anglo-SaxonOld English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
in origin, and means double ford. It is a common name in England
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...
. Twyford did, as the name suggests, have two fords, on the Old Bath Road to the west of the centre. Both are now bridged.
William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
, founder of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, spent the final years of his life in Ruscombe Fields, a property close to Twyford, and is remembered by a residential street named 'Pennfields'.
Twyford was primarily an agriculturally based settlement until the coming of the railway in 1838 placed it on the main line to the west and subsequently made it a junction for the Henley Branch Line. However, its position on the Bath Road had always brought activity which was centred on the King's Arms, an important coaching inn. The opening of a by-pass in 1929 finally ended the east-west flow of main road traffic through the centre, but Twyford is still on a busy north-south route from Wokingham in the south to Henley in the north. The greatest expansion, however, has taken place since the Second World War, particularly in the last 50 years, with the construction of several estates to the north and south of the village. The population at the 2001 census was 6216, but Twyford is still affectionately known by the residents as a village.
Today
Twyford today is largely a commuter settlement for workers travelling to Reading, Maidenhead, Wokingham and, further afield, London. Local commercial activity and hence employment is restricted by its close proximity to the major conurbations of Reading and Maidenhead, where major high street shopping facilities are located.It does, however, possess a substantial supermarket Waitrose
Waitrose
Waitrose Limited is an upmarket chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom and is the food division of the British retailer and worker co-operative the John Lewis Partnership. Its head office is in Bracknell, Berkshire, England...
, and other retail outlets, which makes it the local centre for the northern part of Wokingham district. A Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
Express is due to open in February 2012. The village is considered an affluent area where property prices are significantly higher than the national average. Twyford also has one of the lowest levels of unemployment in the country.
Government
Twyford has its own parish council, and is also in the Borough of WokinghamWokingham (district)
Wokingham is a local government district in Berkshire, United Kingdom. It is named after its main town, Wokingham. Other places in the district include Arborfield, Barkham, Charvil, Earley, Finchampstead, Hurst, Sonning, Remenham, Ruscombe, Shinfield, Twyford, Wargrave, Three Mile Cross, Winnersh,...
, and the ceremonial county
Ceremonial counties of England
The ceremonial counties are areas of England to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as counties and areas for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and Lieutenancies Act 1997...
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...
. Before this it was in Wokingham Rural District
Wokingham Rural District
Wokingham Rural District was a rural district in the county of Berkshire, England. It was created in 1894. It was named after and administered from Wokingham.Since April 1, 1974 it has formed part of the District of Wokingham....
and the hundred
Hundred (division)
A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...
of Charlton
Charlton (hundred)
Charlton was a hundred in the English county of Berkshire. Like all hundreds, although never abolished, it effectively ceased to function after 1886....
. Before 1895, Twyford was part of the parish of Hurst
Hurst, Berkshire
Hurst is a village in the civil parish of St Nicholas Hurst in the English county of Berkshire.-Geography:The parish of St Nicholas Hurst is situated at , north of Wokingham and south of Twyford in the county of Berkshire...
, within the liberty
Liberty (division)
Originating in the Middle Ages, a liberty was traditionally defined as an area in which regalian rights were revoked and where land was held by a mesne lord...
of Broad Hinton. Between the 13th century and 1844, Broad Hinton was officially
Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844
The Counties Act 1844 , which came into effect on 20 October 1844, was an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which eliminated many outliers or exclaves of counties in England and Wales for civil purposes....
a detached part of Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
Transport
Situated in the Thames Valley, Twyford is 10 miles from the M4M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
, M40
M40 motorway
The M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05...
and M3
M3 motorway
The M3 motorway runs in England for approximately from Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, to Southampton, Hampshire and forms an unsigned section European route E05. It is dual three lanes as far as Junction 8 near Basingstoke and then dual two lane until Junction 9 near Winchester and then dual three...
motorways and 40 km/25 miles from the M25
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
. Twyford railway station
Twyford railway station
Twyford railway station is a railway station in the village of Twyford, Berkshire, England.It is served by local services operated by First Great Western from , east, to...
is on the Great Western Main Line
Great Western Main Line
The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
and served by trains between Reading and London Paddington
Paddington station
Paddington railway station, also known as London Paddington, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex.The site is a historic one, having served as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and its successors since 1838. Much of the current mainline station dates...
stations. These transport links make Twyford very popular with commuters
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
. The town 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....
is 10 km (6.2 mi) to the west, with Maidenhead
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
12 km (7.5 mi) to the east and Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
8 km (5 mi) to the north. London is 56 km (34.8 mi) to the east.
Sport and recreation
There are two recreation grounds in Twyford, both owned and managed by the Parish Council.1. King George's Field (aka The Rec), lying between London Road and Wargrave Road has football pitches, 3 tennis courts, children's playgrounds and a youth shelter. A project to build a skate park and ball court in the field was completed in July 2008.
2. Stanlake Meadow, off Waltham Road, has football pitches, a cricket square used by Twyford & Ruscombe Cricket Club and a pavilion which is also used as a nursery school.
Indoor sports clubs use the parish hall, Loddon Hall. This is a joint facility with the neighbouring parish of Ruscombe
Ruscombe
Ruscombe is a small village and civil parish, east of Twyford in the Borough of Wokingham, in the English county of Berkshire.Its most notable residents are William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, who lived there from 1710 to 1718, and the actor Dennis Price, co-star of Kind Hearts and Coronets,...
.
Twyford also has a youth football club called Twyford Comets who play on both of the recreation grounds described above.
Twyford also has a tennis club, a bowls club with its own green and claims to have the oldest Badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
club in the country.
Notable residents
The actor Dennis PriceDennis Price
Dennis Price was an English actor, remembered for his suave screen roles, particularly Louis Mazzini in Kind Hearts and Coronets, and for his portrayal of the omniscient valet Jeeves in 1960s television adaptations of P. G...
was born in Twyford.
The Home Secretary and MP for Maidenhead Theresa May
Theresa May
Theresa Mary May is a British Conservative politician who is Home Secretary in the Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition government. She was elected to Parliament in 1997 as the Member of Parliament for Maidenhead, and served as the Chairman of the Conservative Party, 2003–04...
lives near Twyford, which is part of her constituency.