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'Basildon' is a village and civil parish in Berkshire between Pangbourne and Streatley.
It is in the district of West Berkshire, close to the Reading and Wokingham district borders. It comprises the settlements of Upper Basildon and Lower Basildon, named for their heights above the River Thames. Basildon is seven miles (11 km) from Reading, 47 miles (76 km) from London and 20 miles (30 km) from Oxford.
Basildon Park is situated nearby, between Basildon and Upper Basildon.

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History

External link

History

The ancient manor of Basildon comprised the present-day civil parishes of Basildon and Ashampstead and is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. It was an important royal manor at the time of the Norman Conquest with a female Lord of the Manor.
The parish has been inhabited since at least neolithic times and stone axes have been found dating back to 450,000 bc. The area was settled by the Romans, Saxons and Normans, partly on account of the fact that the Thames used to be the frontier between rival tribes and kingdoms
It was also the home of Jethro Tull who was both born and buried in the parish.
The name ''Basildon Bond'' known for the writing paper and stationery is believed to have been named after the Basildon Park estate of Major James Archibald Morrison which he owned between 1838 and 1929.

External link

★ Upper and Lower Basildon Village Website

★ Royal Berkshire History: Basildon