Day after tomorrow, my daughter moves on from Wincanton, England, (nickname Winky) to Wokingham, 39 miles from Central London, to do another Workaway. What’s interesting about Wokingham? Well, I did some searching. Wokingham means “Wocca’s people’s home.” Wocca was a Saxon chieftain in the 1100s. There are a number of places in England with names starting with Wok associated with this Wocca fella.
The clay under the town indicates it may have been a marine estuary, in prehistoric time. Just think about that!
In the 1200s, the Bishop of Salisbury petitioned to hold three fairs there each year. Nearby are towns such as Keephatch and Bean Oak sharing this rich-soiled farming area. The town has had the most growth in the past 80 years. There are “some three blocks of 1950s police houses.” What the heck are those? I looked it up. I didn’t find a definition, per se, but I think they were housing for police! All I found is this: “The maximum floor areas normally allowed in police houses are. for constables and sergeants, 1,000 square feet; for inspectors and superintendents, 1,300 square feet; and for assistant chief constables and chief constables, 1,500 square feet”! Wow.
I was getting a little worried that Wokingham holds little of distinction other than its bell foundries, when I came across an article, “13 Wonderful Things about Wokingham”! For instance, there are 335 acres of lakes, rivers and meadows to walk around and explore. There are hides for watching birds and bats! So some special birds around there. A military tech museum. One hundred acres of bog land!
And if you want some culcha, The Mill on the banks of the Thames, is the only dinner theatre in UK. There are 14th century houses from the time when bell making and knitting were the big industries. There’s a street named after a famous town witch.
Wokingham is known for its pubs. One for every occasion, apparently.
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There’s a craft village on Heathlands Rd. though it doesn’t appear to be a re-creation of an old-time village. There are shops and craft making. In the area, there are farms where you can pick your own fruit. That must be part of the reason Public Health England calls Wokingham the healthiest town in England. Sound fun? I hope so. I’m waiting for a report from my daughter on it. She’ll be pet-minding there for a couple of weeks and then moving on, wending her way along. Another month in the UK and then maybe back to France.
I had to include this Dickensian workhouse photo!
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