News

REPAIRS TO THE WALL, RAMP AND GAZEBO

Those who attended our A.G.M in April will remember that the outgoing mayor of Reading, Tony Page, said that a source of funding had been identified and work to repair the ramp and the Church Road wall would begin soon.  Christelle Beaupoux, RBC culture and heritage programme manager, has told us that the work is being put out to tender shortly.  However, there will be no access to the middle lawn for wheelchair users this summer.  The ugly portaloo near the entrance gate will unfortunately have to stay for some while yet.  We have asked RBC for more frequent cleaning, and for the accessible toilet behind the Tea Kiosk to be repaired.

GAZEBO

Meanwhile the gazebo (aka listed early 17th century riverside pavilion) which has been closed for over a year and is suffering from damp, has undergone a thorough survey.  The results of which we await with trepidation.  The gazebo is unlikely to be open to visitors this summer.

PLANTING

Visitors to the garden will have noticed that that the box hedging has been ravaged by the box moth caterpillar.  The Friends have funded new yew balls for the long border to replace the box and, also a yew hedge near the house footprint.  Further replacements will be carried out in the autumn.  The friends are working with the Head Gardener and Parks Supervisor and looking at alternatives such as myrtle which would be in keeping with the gardens.

SLOW THE TRAFFIC 

Thanks to the many Friends who signed the petition to introduce a 20 mph speed limit on St Peter's Hill and Church road.  Local resident Tony Wernham, St Peter's Church Warden, Francis Serjeant and Vickie Abel presented the petition to the RBC Traffic Management Committee on 13 June.  Officers will now examine the proposal, which we hope will be apprved at the next meeting of the sub-committee in the autumn.  it will then join a long queue of traffic management  measures waiting to be implemented in Caversham.

LOOK OUT FOR THE  HYDRANGEAS

The white flowering hydrangeas below the Tea Kiosk promise a fine show again this summer.  We are also delighted to have another new tree planted, a Liquidamber or Sweet Gum.  There is a mature  one in the churchyard which shows magnificent autumn colour.

We were intrigued to receive an e-mail from Earth.fm(https://earth.fm/the-quietest-places-in-the-worlds-loudest-cities/) congratulating us on Caversham Court being named  Reading's most peaceful place.

SEARCH YOUR FAMILY PHOTO COLLECTIONS

Helen Lambert of CADRA has kindly drawn our attention to a photograph in the Reading Museum collection captioned  'A family enjoying afternoon tea at the tea house in Caversham Court'.  Dated November 1948, it shows people at a table on the top terrace by the gate into the churchyard , with an entrance to the back door of the stable block.  Do any long-standing residents have any recollection of a cafe in the stable block?  Does anyone have any family photographs  of tea parties there?

SISATA THEATRE, PETER PAN, SUNDAY 4 AUGUST, 6.00 p.m.

Dorset based SISATA transports you to Neverland like you have never seen it before.  Inspired by the Isle of Portland off the Jurassic Coast, meet the natives of Portland, pirates and smugglers and a prehistoric Jurassic monster intent on consuming the rest of Hook.

Come early to take part and play a role in this playful and honest adaptation of J.M. Barrie's timeless tale with original live music and song.

'Doors' open at 5.15 p.m.  Arrive early to pick your spot, bring a chair/cushion/blanket/whatever you need to be comfortable and prepared for the weather.

Ticket prices £14 - 17.00* (booking fee applies)

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/sisata/t-ojaordj

WAYS AND MEANS CANINE CAPERS FUN DOG SHOW, SUNDAY 15 SEPTEMBER, 1.30 P.M.

Details of this annual event will follow shortly.

The gardens will close early for events at 4.00 p.m. on 22 June, 6.00 p.m. on 27 July and 5.00 p.m. on 4 August.

FIRST SUNDAYS

Friends of Caversham Court Gardens will be in the gardens on the first Sunday of the month in July, August and September offering information and tours of the gardens, weather permitting.

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCHEME FOR CHURCH ROAD CAVERSHAM

The Church Leadership Team of St Peter's Church, Caversham and the Committee of the Friends of Caversham Court Gardens wish to promote a  petition in favour of a Traffic Management Scheme aiming to enhance the safety for pedestrians accessing St Peter's Church and Caversham Court Gardens.  The scheme would involve the enforcement of a 20 m.p.h. speed limit on the whole length of St Peter's Hill and Church Road.  The scheme would include signage  near the entrance to Woodrow Court to warn drivers that the elderly people may be crossing Church Road.

DATE: May 2024.

If you wish to support this petition you are invited to contact us on admin@fccg.org.uk with your name and address.

WALL AND RAMP REPAIRS AND THE GAZEBO

At our AGM on 10 April we were delighted to hear from the mayor of Reading, Councillor Tony Page, that the RBC had found a source of funding to repair the wall and ramp in the gardens.  Manager Christelle Beaupoux will be coming along to the next meeting of the Caversham Court Management Committee in early June to tell us more.  We will report back.

Meanwhile, there is some progress towards getting a full structural survey of the gazebo (aka the listed 17th century riverside pavilion) carried out.  There has been significant deterioration in the building over this wet winter.

ARCHITECTURE TOUR OF CAVERSHAM

On 7 June at 2.00 p.m. Megan Aldrich, local architectural historian, and Helen Lambert, CADRA Chair, will lead a walk in Caversham, run by the Berkshire Family History Society (BFHS).  More details and how to book on the BFHS website. 

HEALTH CHECK OF THE VENERABLE COPPER BEECH TREE

Our elderly beech tree has recently had a health check using a technique called Sonic Tomography.   Non-invasive sonic tomography detects decay and cavities in standing trees.  The technique measures the velocity of sound waves in wood; differences in velocity can detect areas of healthy and damaged wood.  A series of nails are lightly inserted around the circumference of the tree.  Each nail has a sensor attached to it and is tapped in turn.  The sensors detect the time taken for sound waves to travel from the source to all the other sensors, data is then recorded and interpreted by  an attached computer.  The data showed that the trunk is reasonably sound and healthy for a beech tree of its age with no significant internal cavities or diseased areas to be of concern.