Mapledurham
| Mapledurham | |
| Oxfordshire | |
|---|---|
 Mapledurham Church and House, seen from the Watermill | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SU669767 |
| Location: | 51°29’6"N, 1°2’17"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 280 (2001) |
| Post town: | Reading |
| Postcode: | RG4 |
| Dialling code: | 01491 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | South Oxfordshire |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Henley |
Mapledurham is a small village and country estate beside the River Thames in southern Oxfordshire.
The village is in an isolated, rural location on the north bank of the River Thames about 3½ miles northwest of Reading. The only road access is by a narrow and steep lane from Trench Green on the road between Caversham and Goring-on-Thames.
Parish church
The Church of England parish church of St. Margaret is mainly 14th and 15th century, and was restored in 1863 by the Gothic Revival architect William Butterfield.[1]
About the village
Mapledurham Watermill is 16th and 17th century[2] and is the last operational watermill on the Thames.
Mapledurham House, the country house that is the headquarters of the Mapledurham estate, is one of the largest Elizabethan houses in Oxfordshire[3]
Mapledurham Lock is on the opposite bank of the river, by the Berkshire village of Purley-on-Thames. Although the weir stretches across the river between the two villages, no access is possible across it and, in the absence of a boat, journeys between the two villages require a lengthy detour by way of Caversham or Whitchurch-on-Thames.
Because of its picturesque situation, and lack of through traffic, Mapledurham has been used as a set for several films, most notably The Eagle Has Landed (1976).
The village, house and mill form something of a local tourist attraction, and on summer weekends the village can be reached by a boat service from Reading.[4][5]
Estate
The Mapledurham estate owns much of the village and parish. It also includes the Mapledurham Watermill, a historic and still operational watermill on the River Thames, and Mapledurham House, an Elizabethan stately home.
The estate belongs to the family of John "Jack" Eyston. At one time the estate included several farms, but farming has now been consolidated on a single farm. The estate has strongly diversified into leisure activities, and includes two golf courses and several holiday cottages. Additionally the house, watermill and surrounding grounds are opened to the public on weekend and bank holiday afternoons from April to September.[4][6]
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Mapledurham) |
References
- ↑ Sherwood & Pevsner, 1974, page 693-694
- ↑ Sherwood & Pevsner, 1974, page 697
- ↑ Sherwood & Pevsner, 1974, page 695-697
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Film Locations". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/southtoday/content/articles/2008/11/25/telltom_films_feature.shtml. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
- ↑ "Boat service from Reading to Mapledurham". Thames River Cruises. http://www.thamesrivercruise.co.uk/scheduled_trip2.asp. Retrieved 2007-04-29.
- ↑ "Opening times, directions and prices". Mapledurham Estate. http://www.mapledurham.co.uk/visit.php. Retrieved 2007-04-29.
Books
- Sherwood, Jennifer; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1974). The Buildings of England: Oxfordshire. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-071045-0.
