Hurley is a village and rural civil parish in Berkshire, England. Its riverside is agricultural, except for Hurley Priory, as are the outskirts of the village. The Olde Bell Inn adjoining the priory is believed to date from 1135.

Hurley
Village and civil parish
The Olde Bell inn, originally the guest house for Hurley priory
Hurley is located in Berkshire
Hurley
Hurley
Location within Berkshire
Population1,854 (2001)
1,923 (2011 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceSU826834
Civil parish
  • Hurley
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townMaidenhead
Postcode districtSL6
Dialling code01628
PoliceThames Valley
FireRoyal Berkshire
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Berkshire
51°32′35″N 0°48′29″W / 51.543°N 0.808°W / 51.543; -0.808

Topography

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Hurley is a linear development perpendicular to and adjoining the Upper Thames 4 miles (6.4 km) NW of Maidenhead and 3.5 miles (5.6 km) ENE of Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire on the A4130. The parish includes the hamlets of Cockpole Green, Warren Row, Knowl Hill, Burchett's Green and part of Littlewick Green.[2] Ashley Hill Forest, almost 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the village, is close to and almost equidistant between Warren Row, Knowl Hill and Burchett's Green and is the largest woodland. Other than this, the parish is mainly agricultural; however, many farms have spinneys of woodland adjoining.

Historic structures

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Localities

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Hurley Bottom

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Only one of the buildings at the foot of the hill in the south of the village street is listed. This southerly neighbourhood has the local name of Hurley Bottom but is 10 m (33 ft) higher than the riverside parts of the village.

Frogmill Court and Frogmill Spinney

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The early 19th-century Frogmill Court is now a farmhouse adjoining the river, which in this parish consists of mainly grazing and pasture meadows. The farmhouse is Grade II listed.[7] Frogmill Spinney forms a riverside park housing estate. Another group of riverside homes are accessed by a separate lane.[2]

Recreation

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Hurley is often used as a mooring for leisure craft and by campers. Cricket has been played in Hurley for over 100 years. The club currently plays in the Chiltern League on Saturdays and friendly fixtures against local rivals on Sundays. The ground has a London plane tree inside the boundary.[citation needed] The clubhouse was rebuilt in the 1970s after fire destroyed the previous wooden one.[citation needed] The Temple Golf Club was founded in 1909 and is recognised for its "picturesque [..] Thames valley views".[8]

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  • The composer William Crotch was also an artist, and completed the drawing View from Hurley Bottom on 30 August 1806.[9]

Public transport

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The village is served by a bus route from Maidenhead. Closest railway stations are Marlow, Maidenhead and Henley approximately four miles north east, south east and west respectively.

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  2. ^ a b Grid square map Ordnance survey website
  3. ^ "The Priory of Hurley". British History Online. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  4. ^ Historic England. "Hurley Priory: A moated Benedictine priory... (1007933)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  5. ^ "The Olde Bell". (official website). Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  6. ^ "Village that played secret role in defeating Germany". Henley Standard. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  7. ^ Historic England. "Frogmore Farmhouse (1319393)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  8. ^ Lorne Smith (2009). "Temple". Fine Golf.
  9. ^ Crotch, William. "View from Hurley Bottom". Tate Gallery. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  10. ^ Jerome, Jerome (1889). Three Men in a Boat. Bristol: J.W. Arrowsmith. OCLC 457566372. The village of Hurley, five minutes' walk from the lock, is as old a little spot as there is on the river, dating, as it does, to quote the quaint phraseology of those dim days, "from the times of King Sebert and King Offa.".