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Arborfield
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Properties
  Related sites:
'The Poplars' - now known as Molebridge Farm
Modern aerial photo of School Road Arborfield, courtesy of Multimap
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Detail from RAF aerial photo of part of the parishes of Newland and Arborfield, dated 10th July 1946, ref. 3142, reproduced by permission of the National Monuments Record, English Heritage.
This is School Road, showing what was then known as 'Newland, Arborfield and Barkham Schools'. The School House was occupied by the headmaster, Mr. Verrall, who retired a year later. Here is an article from the 'Reading Standard' of 11th July 1947: "Mr W J Verrall, Headmaster of Arborfield Church of England Schools, who is retiring at the end of the summer term, has been teaching for 42 years. "Certificated in 1905, he held his first appointment at St. Peter’s Boys School, Bexhill-on-Sea; spent five years at Palmer School, Wokingham; and nine years broken by two years’ war service, at Brimpton Church of England School near Newbury; finally coming to Arborfield in May 1921: a total of 40 years teaching in Berkshire. "Mr Verrall has always entered fully into all the social and other activities of the village. He was hon. secretary of the Cricket Club from 1921 – 37; treasurer of the British Legion 1922 – 44; hon. secretary of the Flower Show for fifteen years; a Parish Councillor since 1940, and chairman of Newland Parish Council during the past year; chairman of the Village Hall Management Committee, the Library Committee, and the local branch of the National Savings Committee; agent for the Royal Berks Friendly Society; and a member of the Royal Observer Corps for nine years. "A Church Warden and a member of the Parochial Church Council, Mr Verrall has been a choir member for fifty years, including a period as Choirmaster at Barkham. "Mrs Verrall, who was also a teacher before her marriage, is a member of the Mothers’ Union, the British Legion Women’s Section, and for many years was secretary of the Women’s Institute." Further to the right is Langley Pond Farm and Wood Lane. As plans progressed for the yet-to-be-named 'School Road' housing site in early 1947, it was announced that a new sewage works would be built on land behind Langley Pond Farm, initially to serve this estate. It was some years later before the houses near the 'Bramshill Hunt' were to be connected, despite the desperate need for something to replace their overflowing cesspit. The field opposite the School was developed into Emblen Crescent, as shown in another aerial photo taken in 1985. Note the alley-way leading to School Road in the bottom right-hand corner:
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