Tadley

The town of Tadley in the county of Hampshire has had a fascinating past, with the manor passing to different owners; in 1166 it was the property of Willian Hotot, in 1305 it passed to the de la More family, in 1496 the Ludlow family inherited the manor by marriage and the now-notorious Henry Ludlow became lord of the manor in 1625. Henry was a tyrannical man who pulled down his tenants’ houses and refused to pay their wages, rates and taxes. Henry died in 1639 and the records are unclear until the end of the 17^th century when Tadley passed into the hands of the Wither family. By the beginning of the 20^th century the owner was Major William Archibald Hicks Beach. The primary industries that led to growth and development in Tadley, from heathland and common land to busy community has been the manufacture of bricks and besom brooms. House names tell the story of the town with ‘Kiln House’ and ‘Broom Cottage’.

Tadley today is still surrounded by beautiful countryside but its population has grown considerably as a result of the building of additional homes to accommodate workers at the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment in Aldermaston that was built in the 1950’s. There are plenty of amenities, shops, restaurants and pubs here as well as lovely parks and open spaces.