Sonning, Oxfordshire

Description
Sonning, a pleasant picturesque village on the right bank of the Thames, and a parish in Berks and Oxfordshire. The village stands 3 miles ENE from Reading, and 2 NW from Twyford station on the G.W.R. The Earley station on the Reading and Reigate branch of the S.E.R. is also in the ancient civil parish. The river here is crossed by an ancient brick bridge of eleven arches, from which two beautiful but quite dissimilar views of the stream are to be obtained. Sonning was anciently the seat of a bishopric, afterwards removed to Sherborne, and finally to Salisbury; retained an episcopal palace till the time of Elizabeth; contains a house in which Sydney Smith wrote " Peter Plymley's Letters." It has some excellent inns, and a post, money order, and telegraph office under Reading. The parish comprises the ecclesiastical parishes of Earley and Woodley and Sandford, which are noticed separately, and the liberty of Eye and Dunsden in Oxfordshire. Acreage, 9740 of land and 179 of water; population of the civil parish, 3048; of the ecclesiastical, 782. Holme Park is a good country mansion, pleasantly situated amidst an extensive park, and there are several other good residences in the parish. The river is well preserved, and excellent fishing is to be obtained during the season. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Oxford; net value, £574 with residence. Patron, the Bishop of Oxford. The church-whose grey, square, embattled tower adds greatly to the charm of the up-river view from the bridge-is a spacious building of flint and stone dating from the 13th century, and consisting of chancel with aisles, nave, aisles, and N and S porch, in addition to the tower previously mentioned. It possesses great wealth of ancient and interesting brasses, tombs, and monuments, and a fine view may be obtained from the top of the church tower. There are also a Congregational chapel and several small charities.