Chapel Row


Chapel Row is a hamlet in West Berkshire, England, and part of the civil parish of Bucklebury. The settlement is on a minor crossroads, on the C road topping the northern escarpment between Thatcham and Theale above the Kennet valley and is centred east north-east of Newbury.

History

Since the mid 17th century, an inn has stood near to the locality's green. The site is now occupied by The Bladebone Inn.
In the 18th century, Chapel Row became known for its revels, which were held on the Monday following the feast of Saint Anne. The revels featured events such as backswording . The sport was not featured in a number of later fayres as at least one contender was reported to have been killed. An 1812 Reading Mercury article on the fayre focusses primarily on agriculture, stating that the event was an opportunity to trade cattle and employ farmhands.

Geography

The settlement is on a minor crossroads, on the C road topping the northern escarpment between Thatcham and Theale above the Kennet valley and is centred east north-east of Newbury. Woodland with public access as common land and under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 occupies the land immediatedly west and south-west of the clustered centre, Bucklebury Common..

Notable people

Chapel Row was the home of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge before her marriage in April 2011.