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

The Lake at Maiden Erlegh Park, earlier this century

In response to the demands of local residents Coopers Estates agreed to sell Maiden Erlegh Lake and the surrounding woodland to Earley Parish Council in return for being allowed to build on another greenfield site. As it was realised the purchase would lead to an increase in the rates, the Council held a public meeting and a referendum. With the backing of the people of Earley the Council purchased the site for £8,500 in 1965. More recently Old Lane Wood, at the rear of Sellafield Way, was acquired from Wokingham District Council, giving the Park a total area of some 24 acres. The woodlands within the Park are of great historical and ecological importance, with Oak Wood dating from at least the 16th century and contains some 18 indicator species associated with old woodlands. Charcoal and pollen deposits from sediment indicate that the Lake area was once a wet woodland and thus was almost certainly created by building a dam and thus flooding the valley bottom. This practice was common place from the Middle Ages to the 18th century to create fishponds, to provide ice and a landscape feature.

Earley has some other areas of semi-natural ancient woodland which include; Redhatch Copse, off Redhatch Drive, High Wood near Church Road and Pearmans Copse near Lower Earley Way. A small remnant of Buckhurst Copse still exists within the grounds of Maiden Erlegh School. In the case of High Wood the site also contains the last remnant of heathland within the area, which had covered a fair part of Earley and Woodley until the 1800s. To the east of High Wood, near South Lake, existed Bulmershe Heath on which George III inspected local troops.

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