Purley on Thames

Purley on Thames is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. Purley is centred 3mi north-west of Reading, 1mi east of Pangbourne, and 22mi south-east of Oxford. Consequently, the Reading urban area is the principal social, economic and cultural centre for the people of Purley. Historically, Purley comprised three separate manors and associated settlements, these being Purley Magna to the east, Purley Parva to the north-west, and Purley La Hyde, to the west.DevelopmentPurley lost most of its old houses due to emparkment around 1800 and redevelopment in the 20th century. It is bounded to the north by a stretch of the River Thames, to the east by West Reading and part of Tilehurst in Reading Borough, to the west by Pangbourne and to the south by Tilehurst and Sulham. After the sale of the estate of Purley Magna in the 1920s most of the eastern part of the parish has been developed but there is easy access to rural areas to the west and south. The area encompassing the other two manors has also retained a rural character.Changes in the 20th century began with ribbon development along the Oxford Road and Long Lane and in recent years these properties have been redeveloped with modern housing estates. The Purley River Estate was sold off in small plots in the 1930s and for many years suffered much non-planned development. As a result of the guidance plan agreed during the 1960s it has gradually developed from self built, timber dwellings and converted railway carriages, to an area with more conventional 'everyday' houses. The gradual upgrading of the area has resulted in a diverse range of housing styles.