Maiden Erlegh Mansion (site of), Earley, Berks (Reading)

Info courtesy of; www.earley-tc.gov.uk/history6.html

The foyer of the mansion at Maiden Erlegh

Solomon Barnato Joel purchased the Maiden Erlegh Estate in 1903. His humble start in life, in 1865, as the son of poor publican, brought up in the tough East End of London, to millionaire diamond dealer is a story in itself. His generosity and lavish lifestyle has been written into the folklore of Earley. Even the current spelling of Maiden Erlegh is attributed to him. It has been written that Mr. Joel was very superstitious and realising that the spelling of Maiden Erleigh had 13 letters, dropped the `i`, thus giving us Erlegh.

However, the first Ordnance Survey map of the area surveyed in 1887 reveals that the spelling was already in existence before Soly Joel purchased the estate. He is also believed by some to have had the Lake created, although again, maps of the 1700's show that it was already in existence.

The large island within the Lake however can reasonably be attributed to him. He invested heavily in the Estate commissioning a wonderful marble swimming pool complete with fresco. The grounds were well laid out, complete with a magnificent rose garden and terracing. The Estate also boasted an aviary, polo ground, cricket field and tennis courts. He also established a famous race horse stud at New Farm, which was re-named Home Stud Farm, and was situated near what is now Marefield, off Rushey Way.

The famous marbled swimming pool

A map held by the Town Council clearly shows that the Mansion stood between Silverdale Road and Crawford Close. The large Turkey Oak which stands in the middle of the Close is believed to have grown against the Orangery (which was subsequently sold to the Stanbury Estate in nearby Spencers Wood and is now believed to be in Cornwall, having been sold on again), and thus is not symmetrical in shape. To get to the Mansion you would have travelled from Wokingham Road along Maiden Erlegh Drive, most of which still exists today complete with sections of Victorian fencing and the Lodge.

Sol. Joel Park in Wokingham Road was given to the Corporation of Reading in 1927 and its official opening was a grand affair, opened by the then Duke of York, who became King George VI. Soly Joel also purchased the first motorised ambulance for the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

The mansion at Maiden Erlegh

After his death, in 1931, the luxurious contents of the mansion were sold at auction. The Mansion itself became Maiden Erlegh School for Boys. During the summer, a punt was used to take some of the pupils onto the large island on Maiden Erlegh Lake and lessons were held in the thatched building which stood there until the 1960s. The school flourished until 1942. In 1945 the building was sold on to the Church Army, which used it as a Training College until 1952. ICI then bought the Manor and used it as a conference centre and offices until 1954, when Cooper Estates Ltd. purchased the site. Hungarian refugees were housed there, following the Soviet invasion of their country in 1956. They were its last residents - the bulldozers starting their destruction in March 1960. The Home Stud Farm was purchased in 1932 and continued in existence until the 1980s. The horses were grazed on what is now known as Laurel Park.

Maiden Erlegh was formed out of the Manor of Erlegh St. Nicholas, as a gift of land by John de Erlegh to Robert de Erlegh in 1362. Later it was transferred to a Charles Hide of Abingdon. In 1673 the estate was sold to Valentine Crome, and then passed through several hands. At the end of the 18th century it belonged to William Matthew Birt who was Governor General of the Leeward Islands.

In 1818 the property then passed to the Rt Hon. Edward Golding, M.P. for Downton, Wiltshire. The Manor was purchased in 1878 by John Hargreaves, Master of the South Berks Hunt, who founded a course where hunt and yeomanry races, similar to the modern hunter chases were run. The course extended over an area now covered by Hillside Road, Sutcliffe Avenue and Mill Lane. The grandstand stood on an area which is to the back of the houses in Hillside Road, opposite Loddon Junior School. Soly Joel continued to allow racing until the First World War, then the Maiden Erlegh Racecourse was demolished, the grandstand being re-erected at Newbury racecourse.

Prehistoric Earley - The Romans and beyond - The Middle Ages - The Manors of Erlegh - Ab