Wargrave Local History Society

The Society has published three books and one booklet.

The Book of Wargrave
Originally published in hardback in 1986; reprinted in softback in 1999  

ISBN:978 0 9511878 4 5
 


Price £10
The Second Book of Wargrave
Originally published in hardback in 1998

ISBN: 978 0 9511878 3 8 


Price £16

The Illustrated Book of Wargrave
Originally published in hardback in 2011

ISBN 978 0 9511878 5 2


Price £9.95

Historic Wargrave Walks Booklet
Originally published in 2001


Price £2.50



How to obtain these books

  Copies of the books are on sale in the village from Victoria News.
They are on sale at meetings of the Society .
 They can  be ordered through the book trade.
We can also provide a limited mail-order service.

For a limited period, the "Illustrated Book of Wargrave" will also be available in the Wargrave Library,
and from Sheeplands Hare Hatch, Newberry's in Twyford and The Bell Bookshop in Henley.

The Illustrated Book of Wargrave

The Illustrated Book of Wargrave is a collection of historical images, showing the village over the past 140 years.

The views include events, people and places in the village, with aerial photographs, the High Street, church, schools, boating and the river, all being featured. A number of the photographs come from the personal albums of Harriette Cooke Smith, and are published here for the first time. Harriette, the daughter of a one-time Vicar of Wargrave, was one of the most generous benefactors the village has ever had, giving us the Woodclyffe Hostel, Woodclyffe Hall, Recreation Ground, Almshouses, Allotments, all named after her home in the village. Many other old photographs have only been discovered recently, and the Society is pleased to be able to share them by including them in this book.

The Illustrated Book of Wargrave has about 200 images attractively presented in its 112 indexed pages, and printed on good quality paper. It will appeal to all who love and have an interest in Wargrave.

The Book of Wargrave

I EARLY HISTORY AND GROWTH The landscape and geology; Origins and development; Village buildings; St. Mary's Church; The Chapel; The Roman Catholic Church.
II BENEFACTORS The Piggott Family; Mrs Smith and The Woodclyffes.
III THE SCHOOLS Foundation and growth; Life in school.
IV WORKING THE LAND Changes in farming at Upper Culham; George Bayliss and the Chalk Pit; The Floral Mile.
V VILLAGE LIFE Markets, fairs, shops and tradesmen; Domestic servants; Doctors, nurses and health.
VI THE RIVER THAMES The river and riparian houses; Willow Lane.
VII COMMUNICATIONS AND SERVICES Railways; Public Services.
VIII RECREATION Inns and Alehouses; Wargrave and Shiplake Regatta.
IX MAJOR EVENTS The Church Fire; World War II.
X PERSONAL REMINISCENCES Dorothy Pring; Edie Fry; Peter Dover; Queenie Rideout.
XI PEOPLE AND PLACES Folklore; Sir Moris Ximenes and the Wargrave Rangers; Jane Austen; Thomas Day; Hare Hatch; The Remnants and Bear Place; Sir Morell Mackenzie; Henry Kingsley; Gertrude Jekyll and Sir Edwin Lutyens; Eccentric Vicars.

Cont The Second Book of Wargrave

I EARLY HISTORY Wargrave - a Brief Background History; Life in Mediaeval Wargrave; The Black Death in Wargrave; The Wargrave Area in the Civil War Period; The Wargrave Workhouse; Wargrave District School; Rebecca's Well
II WARTIME HISTORY Wartime Wargrave; Twin Evacuees Remember
III THE CHANGING VILLAGE Adapting to Change; Local Farming - Spot the Difference
IV VILLAGE ORGANISATIONS Village Social, Cultural & Recreational Activities; The Wargrave Guides; The Wargrave Scouts; The Youth Club; The Village Theatre Groups; The Wargrave Womens Club; The Bowls Club; The Cricket Club; The Football Club; The Tennis Club
V HARE HATCH History of Hare Hatch; Hill House; Old House; Scarlett's Farm; Memories of Hare Hatch
VI PEOPLE AND PLACES Boating and the River; The Wynmalens and Kingswood House; Nurse Olive Cameron; Alfred James Beckford; Clifford Maidment and W H Easterling's; The Croft; The London Children's Hospital Link; Tussaud in Wargrave
VII COMMUNICATIONS Whither that Old Grove by the Weir?; Bus and Coach Services Through Wargrave
VIII PERSONAL REMINISCENCES The Diary of George Beck; Memories of the Sansom Family; Story of a Car Crash ; But I Remember When ...! ; High Cockett
IX HISTORICAL DATA Lay Subsidy Roll, Hearth Tax and Land Tax; The Value of the Pound; Wargrave Scout and Cub Leaders; Wargrave Rangers; Wargrave Roll of Honour


Historic Wargrave Walks

Want to know more about our village? If so, you need the Local History Society booklet with its selection of walks covering most of the interesting places within easy walking distance of the centre. Each takes an hour or less to complete and there are four to choose from:

Learn about interesting buildings and features along the way, hear about major happenings and ‘meet’ notable villagers from long ago.

Written by local historian, Peter Delaney, the booklet also has a brief history of the village, three sketch maps and numerous pen and ink illustrations by David Ball.