Arborfield
Local History Society

 1961 Aerial Photo of Arborfield Cross

Home

Time Line

Families

Properties

Auctions

Churches

Parish Councils

Memories

Census data

Picture Gallery

Visitors' book

Related sites:

Berkshire History

Berkshire Record Office

Museum of English Rural Life

 

Reading Road and Swallowfield Road

Arborfield Court

Duck's Nest and Targett's Farms, Eversley Road

Poperinghe Barracks

Eversley Road near the Brickworks

Valon, Venning and Hill Roads

Langley Common Road and Biggs Lane, Barkham

School Road and Langley Common Road, Barkham

This is part of an Ordnance Survey aerial photo of Arborfield Cross,  Arborfield Court, Ducks Nest Farm and part of Arborfield Garrison, dated 30th August 1961, ref. OS/61034 frame 72, supplied by the National Monuments Record, English Heritage, now out of copyright, and reproduced under licence from Ordnance Survey. Note the '+' marks, used when creating a map from the photo.

Here is the main settlement at Arborfield Cross, showing Eversley Road from the five-way junction to just beyond Harts Cottages (next to 'Hillcrest') and the site of the British Legion. Note the lengths of the back gardens of 'Hillcrest'; these were later shortened to make room for Harts Close.

Along School Road, the school has gained a playing field. This field would later be extended right up to the semi-detached houses. Note the temporary classrooms facing the playground.

Note the lengths of the gardens of the houses on Eversley Road nearer to the crossroads. On the other side, Post Office Cottages had been demolished, leaving rather a gap stretching to School Road.

Whitewell Cottages can be seen, facing No. 2 Melrose Gardens. Eventually, these were replaced by Whitewell Close. On the close-up to the right, on one side is the Garage at the top, then Magnolia Cottage, then Whitewell Cottages. On the other side, from the top, is Sunrise, then the Village Hall, then Arborfield Stores and its out-buildings.

Returning to the main photo above, Link Way and the bungalows along Eversley Road had recently been completed. Opposite them is the first phase of Melrose Gardens, the bungalows being very similar to those built at Shinfield Rise.

The land behind Arborfield Stores was sold for development in 1962, and three pairs of semi-detached houses were then built either side of Melrose Gardens, plus a detached house.

Soon afterwards, the Chamberlain's estate was started, taking Melrose Gardens to a temporary exit on Swallowfield Road.

The Chamberlain's estate was built in three segments:
- first, the part nearest Melrose Gardens;
- second, the northern part opening on to Swallowfield Road;
- third, the middle segment, which involved the parcelling-up of several long gardens before it could be started.

Some years after this estate had been completed, some residents on the western side of the road were given the opportunity to buy pieces of land from a property in Swallowfield Road, lengthening their gardens.

Every house now seems to be different in some way from when it was built, with many different styles of extension.

Back to main photo

Back to Aerial Photos main page

Back to Properties Page