Chapel Row

Chapel Row is a hamlet in West Berkshire, England, and part of the civil parish of Bucklebury (where, according to the grid reference, most of the 2011 Census population was included). The settlement is on a minor crossroads, on the C road topping the northern escarpment between Thatcham and Theale above the Kennet valley and is centred 5.5 miles (8.9 km) east north-east of Newbury.

Chapel Row
Former Chapel Row Post Office and Stores
Chapel Row Location within Berkshire
OS grid reference	SU572695
Unitary authority	West Berkshire
Ceremonial county	Berkshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Newbury
Postcode district	RG7
Dialling code	0118
Police	Thames Valley
Fire	Royal Berkshire
Ambulance	South Central
UK Parliament	Newbury

History

Since the mid 17th century, an inn has stood near to the locality's green. The site is now occupied by The Bladebone Inn.

In the 18th century, Chapel Row became known for its revels, which were held on the Monday following the feast of Saint Anne.[1] The revels featured events such as backswording (described by Joseph Addison in The Spectator as "a ring of cudgel players who broke one another's heads in order to make some impression on their mistresses' hearts").[1] The sport was not featured in a number of later fayres as at least one contender was reported to have been killed.[1] An 1812 Reading Mercury article on the fayre focusses primarily on agriculture, stating that the event was an opportunity to trade cattle and employ farmhands.[2]

Geography

The settlement is on a minor crossroads, on the C road topping the northern escarpment between Thatcham and Theale above the Kennet valley and is centred 5.5 miles (8.9 km) east north-east of Newbury. Woodland with public access as common land and under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 occupies the land immediatedly west and south-west of the clustered centre, Bucklebury Common..

Notable people

Chapel Row was the home of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge before her marriage in April 2011.[3]

References

1. Ford (2001b)
2. The Chapel Row Fayre (2010)
3. "Royal wedding: Kate Middleton's home village of Bucklebury prepares for big day". The Telegraph. 12 April 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2011.

Sources

• Ford, D N (2001a), Bucklebury, Wokingham, Berkshire: Royal Berkshire History
• Ford, D N (2001b), The Chapel Row Revel, Wokingham, Berkshire: Royal Berkshire History
• The Chapel Row Fayre (2010), The History of the Fayre