VILLAGE VOICES – CHILDREN’S TRAIL
This trail will take you around parts of Sonning and Sonning Eye to see and find out more about some of the places you have heard about in the exhibition. Please take extra care when crossing a road and watch out for cars and other people.
Your starting place is Pearson Hall. As you leave the hall you will see a big house opposite.
1. What is this house called and what ‘dramatic’ village event took place there?
Sonningdene - performance of a Midsummer Nigh t’s Dream by Sonning Village
Players
2. With your back to Pearson Hall walk a short distance left to the mini roundabout and then turn right into Pound Lane where this building is on the other side of the road.
3. When the call came in some men would rush here. What is it?
The Fire Station
Carry on walking up Pound Lane to the playground by King George’s Field.
4. Who opened this playground and when?
Malcolm Stansfield MBE on 26 September 2006
5. What 2 buildings can be found at the end of Liguge Way?
Beech Lodge and Sonning CE Primary School
Now go back down Pound Lane. At the bottom is a big house – Shelvingstone.
6. How many chimneys does it have? 12
You are now in Pearson Road.
7. Who is this road named after? Canon Hugh Pearson, the vicar of Sonning
8. What was built in 1850? The Old Forge
9. Who re-built this and when? Sidney Paddick 1953
10. A very important building used to be on this site. Children (especially girls) would come here – they enjoyed playing but didn’t like the toilets! What was it?
The Girls’ School
Now walk on to The Grove.
10. It is an unusual colour. Several important people stayed here. There is a little insect carved in the canopy over the door – what is it? A spider
11. Which house is named after a famous highwayman? Turpins
Before turning back towards The Grove look at North Lodge.

Within the grounds behind there was once a Bishop’s Palace. Now walk back towards The
Grove and turn left down the High Street.
12. This used to be a very busy place with several shops. Now there is only one.
What is the shop called and what does it sell? The Ivy Indian restaurant
13 What do you think this house used to be? Telephone exchange
14. What year was the village pump installed? 1846 (MDCCCXLVI)
15. This is where the village garage used to be. What is it called now?
The Mews
Now walk past The Bull into the church and walk to this area of the churchyard.
16. Can you find the grave of one of the people who were awarded the Victoria Cross?
Llewelyn Price-Davies or Edmund John Phipps Hornby
17. What is special about this arch of bricks?
It is a memorial to those who died in the Blitz during WW2. The bricks were collected from bombed out houses in the East End of London.
Now follow leave the churchyard and walk over the river. Be careful the path is very narrow.
Keep walking ahead
18 . What does ‘B/O’ on the bridge mark? Berkshire / Oxfordshire
19. What type of electricity does The Mill Theatre use? Green electricity / hyro electricity
20. What musical instrument is enjoyed here? French Horn
21. Opposite this restaurant is The Furleigh. This is where children from Sonning Eye would meet to walk together to Sonning School. The Furleigh Cottages is where the mill workers lived. Complete this sequence:
25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33
Now return back over the river and keep going up Thames Street. As you walk down
Thames Street see how many homes are named after trees or plants.

There are 8 – Rose Garden, Elm House, Jasmine Cottage, 1, Elm Cottages, 2 Elm
Cottages, Myrtle Cottage, Yew Tree Cottage, Appletree
22. Look up at The Deanery. How many empty chairs are there? 3
23. A painter called William Holman Hunt lived at The Acre for a time. He painted a famous painting called ‘Jesus Light of the World’. What animal is on his gate? A squirrel
24. This building was a very busy place in the past. What do you think it was? What clues helped you?
The Boys’ School / names of the houses ‘Masters’ ‘School Cottage’ clock tower
Thank you for taking the time to do this trail and we hope that you have enjoyed finding out a little more about Sonning and Sonning Eye.