Mapledurham
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Mapledurham is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Oxfordshire. The village is located on the north bank of the River Thames some 4 miles (6 km) north west of the town of Reading. The only road access is by a narrow and steep lane from the Caversham to Goring-On-Thames road at Trench Green. Despite the fact that Mapledurham village is closer, as the crow flies, to central Reading than some of that town's suburbs, it remains a remote and rural location.[1]
The civil parish of Mapledurham covers a considerably larger area than the village itself, and includes the even smaller settlements of Trench Green and Chazey Heath in the Chiltern Hills above the village. [1]
The village is the location of both Mapledurham Watermill, the last operational watermill on the Thames, and the stately home Mapledurham House. However Mapledurham Lock is in fact situated on the opposite bank of the river, in the Berkshire village of Purley-On-Thames. Although the weir stretches across the river between the two villages, no public access is possible across it and, in the absence of a boat, journeys between the two villages require a lengthy detour via Reading or Whitchurch-on-Thames.
Because of its picturesque situation, and lack of through traffic, Mapledurham has been used as a set for several films, most notably the 1976 film of The Eagle Has Landed. The village, house and mill form something of a local tourist attraction, and on summer weekends the village can be reached by a boat service from Reading.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Ordnance Survey (2006). OS Explorer Map 159 - Reading. ISBN 0-319-23730-3.
- ^ Thames River Cruises (2006). Boat service from Reading to Mapledurham. Retrieved March 13, 2006.
[edit] External links
- Map sources for Mapledurham.
- Mapledurham Estate website
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