THE LOST CHALK PIT OF CAVERSHAM COURT
The following is a summary of interesting recent research done by one of our volunteers, Charles Briggs.
Visitors walking along Church Road today would scarcely suspect that behind the houses once lay one of Caversham's most conspicuous landscapes. Hidden beneath Woodrow Court and the gardens of 45 and 47 Church Road is the site of a chalk pit which, for more than a century, dominated the hillside below what was once Chalk Pit Lane (now The Mount). Today almost nothing survives of the pit which supplied chalk and flint commercially.
The geology of Caversham here made chalk extraction almost inevitable - a steep escarpment of Upper Chalk below a thin covering of soil. Whether a formal quarry existed before the end of the 18th C remains uncertain but there can be little doubt that its commercial development began after William Blackall Simonds acquired Caversham Court in 1799. He was far more than a country gentleman. His acquisition of the former Rectory estate gave him not only an imposing residence but extensive land, tithes and a commercial opportunity. Evidence suggests substantial extraction of chalk and flint from the quarry. This was then shipped down the Kennet to Bristol from Simonds own wharf in Reading. By the middle of the 19th C the quarry had become a prominent feature of the Caversham landscape, clearly visible from afar.
After extraction ceased the pit was transformed into an enclosed garden of three acres complete with fruit trees, asparagus beds and a gardener's cottage. Quite a transformation. After the First World War, the quarry almost became Caversham's war memorial as a proposal to convert it into public gardens received considerable support but was never realised. Instead, the site was developed for housing.
Today the quarry survives only in its shape, the steep wooded slopes behind Woodrow Court still reveal its outline with traces of several substantial brick-built structures surviving. These are perhaps the last physical reminder of an industry that once helped shape both the landscape and the economy of Caversham.
MAJOR CONSERVATION WORK IN THE GARDENS APPROVED
Reading Borough Council's planning applications committee on 22 July approved major conservation work in the gardens which involve the restoration of historic walls, gates and gazebo.
These works include the installation of new oak double gates at the main entrance on Church Road. These will replace gates damaged in a car accident in October 2025.
A key part of the conservation project focuses on the eastern boundary wall, which partly collapsed in July 2024. Restoring the wall will not only preserve the heritage of the site but also allow the footpath to the lower lawn to re-open, improving access for visitors.
The 17th Century gazebo, designed to offer views over the river, will also be repaired. This will include structural work to the timber frame on the upper floor, as well as treatment and repainting of the frame, door and windows. The raised causeway leading to the gazebo will undergo structural repairs.
The stables and courtyard wall damaged by a vehicle, will also be rebuilt.