The History of Radley Lakes

Illustrated talk by Richard Dudding

Radley History Club

13 March, 7.00 for 7.30pm at Radley Church

Many thousands of years ago,  a very different River Thames  deposited gravel in the Radley Lakes area, making it attractive for early human settlement.  Following World War 2, this same gravel was extracted, but before then the area was mainly agricultural.

The talk charts this history starting before the Romans arrived and finishing around 2000, just before the Save Radley Lakes campaign. Along the way it describes fisheries for Abingdon Abbey, the growth and decline of the settlement at Thrupp, changing land ownership, the impact of the railways and the transition from farming to gravel workings.  It ends with pictures of the Lakes area today, showing how some familiar landscapes have been shaped by past events.

Richard Dudding is secretary of the Radley Lakes Trust and formerly chair of the Radley History Club (RHC), where he is now archivist.

The event is hosted by RHC ( https://www.radleyhistoryclub.org.uk/). They welcome guests, but please bring £2.50 to pay on arrival.  Doors open at 7.00pm.