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'Coley Park' is a suburb of the town of Reading and formerly a country house and associated estate in the English county of Berkshire.

Contents

Location

Historic house

Housing estate

Government

External links

Location

Coley Park is an area of south-east Reading, bounded to the north by the Berkeley Avenue, to the east by the older suburb of Coley, to the south by the Holy Brook and the water meadows of the Kennet Valley, and to the west by the railway line from Reading to Basingstoke and the suburb of Southcote.

Historic house

The suburb of Coley Park was built largely on the lands of the Coley Park estate. The original manor house, known as Vachel House, was built c. 1555 by Thomas Vachel (1537-1610) on the banks of the Holy Brook rivulet (located where Coley Park Farm remains today). It was restored after the English Civil War c. 1651 by Tanfield Vachel (1602-1658). Eventually Vachel House once again fell into disrepair and a new mansion, Coley House, was built on higher ground by the new owner, John McConnell in 1802. This building located on Swallows Croft (just off Wensley Road) had major restoration works performed in the late 1990's, including the construction of new buildings to the rear and a complete facelift of the roof areas. Today this Grade II Heritage listed building is occupied as part of the adjacent private hospital.

Housing estate

In 1956 the then Reading Corporation, purchased the Coley Park estate for a future council housing estate. By 1958 new residents were arriving and by 1960 a set of three high-rise 15-storey flats were under construction. By the end of the 1960's a row of five shops, a pub, a church and a school had been built on the Coley Park estate. In 1993 Capio Reading Hospital was purpose built in Coley Park, located at Swallows Croft off Wensley Road.

Government

Coley Park is part of the Borough of Reading, which is responsible for all aspects of local government.

External links

★ Coley Park and Beyond historical website