About Spencers Wood
Spencers Wood is a village in the civil parish of Shinfield, Berkshire, England, 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Reading. The village of Three Mile Cross adjoins it to the north. To the west lies the village of Grazeley.
The earliest confirmed reference to the name ‘Spencers Wood’ dates from 1500, when a man named John Blunt left 3s 4d for the repair of a road through the wood called SpencersWood, Spencers Wood stands on a ridge overlooking the Kennet and Loddon river valleys. A fine avenue of Wellingtonia conifers at Stanbury Park is also an attractive and listed feature of the landscape.
The local pub is called The Farriers’ Arms, although it was briefly called The Cygnet when it was purchased by the owner of The Swan (a pub in neighbouring Three Mile Cross). Before the Swallowfield Bypass was built, it was a popular place for coaches to stop on their way to the south coast, The village post office is on the Basingstoke Road. It has been a post office since 1885.
Spencers Wood Village Hall was built in 1911 and is run as a non-profit making registered charity. Our aim is to maintain and develop the use of the hall so that it provides a top class facility for people in the local area, to be able to enjoy a range of activities, and to enable private hire.
Spencers Wood library is part of Wokingham Borough Council’s Libraries. The building was originally an infants’ school funded and built in 1890 by local landowner Frederick Allfrey whose initials appear over the door. From 1941 to 1947 it was a wartime feeding centre after which it was taken over by the Library Service.
St. Michaels and All Angels church in Spencers Wood serves a large and growing community including the former parish of Grazeley. The church was built in 1908 on land given by Henry Lannoy Hunter of Beech Hill who also made a substantial contribution to the building costs. A stone inscribed to his memory can be found in the church.
Lambs Lane Primary School, Spencers Wood, opened in 1908 and is a Community school maintained by Wokingham Borough Council. It caters for up to 210 children between the ages of four and eleven.
Spencers Wood Pavilion houses the Shinfield Voluntary Car Service, and other community activities. It also houses Chapel Lane Preschool for children from the term starting after their third birthday until they are five years old. (Pictured the old pavilion which was replaced in 2020 – see below).
The old Spencers Wood Pavilion was demolished and replaced with a modern modular pavilion and re-opened late 2020. Click here for more information.
Click below for information on room bookings and to see inside.
