The Village

Pangbourne is a beautiful village running alongside the River Thames and surrounded by West Berkshire countryside.

The ancient name for Pangbourne is Paegingabutnam, meaning 'the stream of the sons of Paega'. This is believed to be the name of the leader of the Saxon group who had settled here during the time.

Roman coins and skeletons have also been uncovered along 'Shooters Hill' and a Roman villa was excavated nearby, during the building of the M4 in 1970.

There are many historical buildings in the village. Some date back as far as 1642, such as the Swan Inn, perhaps better known as the Inn where Jerome K Jerome's Three Men in a Boat ended they're journey down the Thames, over one hundred years ago.

The Old George Hotel (pictured bottom right) has been a central part of the village for hundreds of years and still stands today in the village square, despite suffering from several fires in the early 1920's.

Many notable residents have lived in Pangbourne over the years.
These include D.H.Lawrence, Sir Benjamin Baker, who designed the famous Forth Bridge and Kenneth Grahame, the author of 'Wind in the Willows'.
More recently Jimmy Page lived here during 1967-1973.

The village sign (pictured above right) shows King Burtulf with the charter of 844 and a Saxon ship over the village name, with Kenneth Grahame's book below it.