Wokingham

Wokingham meaning ‘Wocca's people's home', situated 6 3 km from London to its West, and having a population of 30,690 is a market town. Wokingham, before 1974 when the local government was reorganized, was a borough. To form the current Wokingham District, it merged in 1974 it merged with Wokingham Rural District. Wokingham achieved the status of a borough in 2007.

Governance:

Northern Wokingham, at one time, was a detached part of Wiltshire that extended into the centre of the town – the area currently occupied by the Norreys, Bean Oak and Dowlesgreen estates. In 1844 it became a part of Berkshire. The then existing parish, in 1894, was divided into rural and urban civil parishes.

The Municipal Corporation Act of 1835 left Wokingham unformed. The Act was reformed in 1883. Due to the Local Government Act 1972, in 1974,  Wokingham and Wokingham Rural District merged to form the non-metropolitan district of Wokingham.  Formed as a unitary authority in 1998, the district has 54 elected councillors presided over by an elected councillor who manages the district and chairs (as a Chairman) all the meetings for a full year. The elections take place in three out of four years for the Chairman Councillor. Since 2002, the Conservative party has been in the seat with a majority. The Shute End is home to the Borough Council Offices in Wokingham.

Topography:

Located on the Emm Brook kin the Loddon Valley in central Berkshire, Wokingham is 33 miles west of central London and between the towns of Reading and Bracknell. Wokingham originally happened to be just a piece of agricultural land on the western front of the Windsor Forest. Wokingham’s soil is rich in loam and has a subsoil of gravel and sand.

The Wokingham town centre is replete with residential areas in almost every direction. The residential areas in the east are home to Dowlesgreen, Norreys, Keephatch and Bean Oak, in the west are Woosehill and  Emmbrook in the northwest. To the south, the areas include Wescott and Eastheath. Other residential areas include Woodcray and Luckley Green which have been present for a long time.

The last 8 decades have seen a lot of development in Wokingham. Dowlesgreen and Woosehill were built on farmland in the late 1960’s to the early 1970’s. Bean Oak was also developed during the same period. Keephatch came to be built in the '90s decade. The Norreys Estate came into existence in the 1960s. The  Norreys Avenue is. however, the oldest residential road having been built in the 1940’s. Norreys Avenue shaped as a horseshoe is located on Norreys Manor (now demolished). Because of this much of the manufactured houses were styled like those belonging to the 1940’s.The road also is home to some brick houses and to three blocks for police residential quarters.

Charities

Wokingham is home to a number of charities helping the needy. The list follows:

• The Lucas Hospital: It is an almshouse founded in 1663 for helping sixteen elderly men who came here from the neighbouring location.
• Wokingham United Charities: This charity provides various grants to people who live in the Wokingham area. They help them by getting rid of their poverty, distress and hardship. Besides they also provide shelter to the needy.
• The Rotary Club of Wokingham: The club form a part of the Rotary International. It’s members take on many activities to raise funds for distributing to the needy whether locally or worldwide.

Churches

• Wokingham Baptist Church
• Wokingham Baptist Church
• St Paul's Church
• Wokingham Methodist Church
• Christchurch Wokingham (CofE)
• Woosehill Community Church
• Norreys Church
• Paul's Church (CofE)
• Kings Church Wokingham
• All Saints' Church (CofE)

Manors :

• Evendon's Manor
• Keep Hatch (demolished)
• Norreys' Manor now named as Norreys Avenue )