Easthampstead

Easthampstead
240px St Michael and St Mary Magdalene
Easthampstead  Easthampstead shown within Berkshire
OS grid reference	SU866680
Civil parish	Bracknell
District	Bracknell Forest
Shire county	Berkshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BRACKNELL
Postcode district	RG12
Dialling code	01344
Police	Thames Valley
Fire	Royal Berkshire
Ambulance	South Central
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Bracknell
List of places UK England Berkshire

Easthampstead is today a southern suburb of the town of Bracknell in the English county of Berkshire, although the old village can still be easily identified around the Church of St Michael and St Mary Magdalene. This beautiful building houses some of the finest stained glass works of Sir Edward Burne-Jones.

History

In Easthampstead there is evidence of local Bronze Age existence in the form of a large round barrow on the top of Bill Hill. The hill itself is also surrounded by an ancient ditch, which has largely been filled in. Bill Hill now forms part of a park next to Downshire Way and it is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Easthampsted is mentioned as an entry in the Domesday book as land belonging to the abbey of Westminster St. Peter in the hundred of Ripplesmere. It was a small village of 14 villagers and 8 ploughlands, and had a value of £5 in 1066. By 1070 it was only worth £2.5.

Originally Easthampstead was an important parish in Windsor Forest, its manor house at Easthampstead Park being a popular hunting lodge with the Royal Family. Another large and important house in the old parish is South Hill Park, one time home of Prime Minister George Canning. Still older is Caesar's Camp, the only Iron Age hill fort in East Berkshire.

Easthampstead once had its own Rural District, but it is no longer even a civil parish. Much of the southern portion of the old parish has been given to adjoining Crowthorne.

Sport and leisure

Easthampstead also sports some of Bracknell's more interesting features such as the Bracknell Sports and Leisure centre. The centre is an important part of Bracknell bringing people from around the county into the area to support local services and infrastructure.

External links

Media related to at Wikimedia Commons