Hurley, Berkshire

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Map sources for Hurley, Berkshire at grid reference SU8283

Hurley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire.

Hurley is famous for its proximity to the River Thames. It is also within easy reach of Henley, Oxford and London. The parish inlcudes the villages and hamlets of Cockpole Green, Warren Row, Knowl Hill, Burchett's Green and part of Littlewick Green. Hurley is an affluent area and house prices are higher than the national average.

The old manor estate of Hall Place (1728) is now the home of Berkshire College of Agriculture. The Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (IGER) also had a facility at Hurley until 1992. The other great mansion in the parish was Lady Place (demolished 1837) which stood adjoining the present parish church which was originally a priory. It was the home of the Barons Lovelace. Hurley is often used as a mooring for barges and motor launches, or by campers. Hurley Weir is considered the premier venue in the United Kingdom for freestyle kayaking.

The village is reputedly home to the oldest, still working, inn in Britain 'Ye Olde Bell', founded in AD 1135 as the hostelry of Hurley Priory. The nave of the priory church survives as the current parish church.