Prehistoric Earley - The Romans and beyond - The Middle Ages - The Manors of Erlegh - About Soly Joel - Maiden Erlegh Park - Other Natural Features - From Hamlet to Town

Place names change with history. The current spelling of Earley has co-existed for the last century alongside the older names of Erlegh, Erleigh and Early. Today we find three of these in use in place names such as; Earley Hill Road, Maiden Erlegh Lake and Erleigh Road. There is no correct way of spelling the settlement's name as all have an equally deserving place in history. The Domesday Book of 1086 records the name as Herlei and history has allowed the name to evolve into many spellings. Exactly what the name means is open to some debate. Many hundreds of place names have ley or leigh within them - which is Anglo Saxon for wood or clearing. Locally this would apply to both Earley and Woodley. Er or Ear could refer to either eagles or gravel pit. Both are possible. Birds of prey would had been a common sight in the Middle Ages. More recently a Golden Eagle was shot in Berkshire in 1924 - the unfortunate creature became a feature in Reading Museum for a time. A few sightings of White Tailed Eagles were recorded in the County until 1927. Today one occasionally sees a Sparrowhawk hunting over Maiden Erlegh Lake. Red Kites have recently been re-introduced near Henley in Oxfordshire, and so large birds of prey may return one day to our skies. The area does have large gravel deposits and thus this too is a possible meaning. The most likely however remains `Eagle Wood`.

Prehistoric Earley - The Romans and beyond - The Middle Ages - The Manors of Erlegh - About Soly Joel - Maiden Erlegh Park - Other Natural Features - From Hamlet to Town