Warfield is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire and the borough of Bracknell Forest.

Warfield
Newell Hall
Warfield is located in Berkshire
Warfield
Warfield
Location within Berkshire
Population11,260 (2021)
OS grid referenceSU8772
Civil parish
  • Warfield
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBRACKNELL
Postcode districtRG42
Dialling code01344
PoliceThames Valley
FireRoyal Berkshire
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Berkshire
51°26′31″N 0°44′13″W / 51.442°N 0.737°W / 51.442; -0.737

History

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Warfield was originally an Anglo-Saxon settlement and is recorded in the Domesday Book as Warwelt [sic]. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English wær + feld, meaning 'Open land by a weir'.[1] The medieval church is one of the finest in Berkshire, particularly noted for its Decorated Period chancel with beautiful carvings and 'Green Men'. It is a Grade II* listed building and located on Church Lane, ¾ of a mile north-east of the modern centre of the village. It is dedicated to the archangel Michael. The area around the church has been designated a conservation area since 1974 primarily to protect the character and nature of this historical building.

There are several memorials to the Stavertons who lived at the old manor house in the moat at Hayley Green. This was replaced, in the Georgian period, by Warfield House alias Warfield Grove, the home of Admiral Sir George Bowyer and, later, the political writer, Sir John Hippisley. Another fine old country house was Warfield Park. In the 18th century, it was the home of John Walsh, the Secretary to Lord Clive and an amateur scientist, and later to his niece, Margaret Benn Walsh and her descendants the Lords Ormathwaite.[2] It was pulled down in 1955.[3] Warfield Hall, built in the 1840s, is the former home of Field Marshal Sir Charles Brownlow.[4]

Geography

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The area of Warfield known as Hayley Green has on its border a local nature reserves called Hayley Green Wood.[5]

Local government

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Warfield is a civil parish, with a parish council that first met in 1894. It is one of six towns and parishes that make up the Bracknell Forest. Warfield residents are represented by councillors on Bracknell Forest Council from the wards of Binfield North & Warfield West, and Winkfield & Warfield East.

Demography

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Men in the Warfield Harvest Ride ward had the highest life expectancy at birth, 90.3 years, of any ward in England and Wales in 2016.[6]

Notable residents

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Freedom of the Parish

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The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Parish of Warfield.

Individuals

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  • Colleen Dulieu: 30 July 2023.[8]


References

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  1. ^ Mills, A.D: A Dictionary of English Place-Names, page 346. Oxford University Press, 1991.
  2. ^ Warfield Park Case Study: A Country House of One’s Own. Blogs.ucl.ac.uk (18 January 2013). Retrieved on 17 July 2013.
  3. ^ Warfield Park, Berkshire. Blogs.ucl.ac.uk (18 January 2013). Retrieved on 17 July 2013.
  4. ^ "Warfield Parish Council Heritage Trail" (PDF). Warfield Parish Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  5. ^ "Magic Map Application". Magic.defra.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  6. ^ "Health 'to start failing at 47' in parts of Blackpool and Middlesbrough". BBC. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  7. ^ Fort, Hugh. "Help Matilda star Kerry Ingram win award". Get Surrey. Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  8. ^ "Colleen Dulieu receives the Freedom of the Parish". The Warfield Parish Council. 30 July 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
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