A large part of the parish of Tadley was included from a very early date in the manor of Overton, therefore there are frequent references to Tadley in documents relating to Overton. However, Tadley did have an independent manor of its own which was initially called Tadley and later called the manor of Withford or Wyford. In 1166 it was the property of William Hotot and in 1305 it passed to the de la More family. In 1496 the Ludlow family inherited the manor by marriage. Henry Ludlow was lord of the manor in 1625 and was a very unpleasant character, tyrannizing his tenants by pulling down their houses and refusing to pay their wages, rates and taxes. After Henry's death in 1639 the history of the manor is uncertain, but it is known that by the end of the seventeenth century it had passed into the hands of the Wither family, with whom it remained for some while. At the beginning of the twentieth century the owner was Major William Archibald Hicks Beach.

Originally the parish was heath land and common land covered in gorse and blackberries, with a few scattered settlements. Bricks used to be made at Tadley Common and the manufacture of besom brooms was, and still is, another local industry. Relics of these industries can be seen in the names of houses in the village such as Kiln House and Broom Cottage. A congregational chapel was founded in Tadley in 1662; this may be identified with a chapel which was converted into the first village school in 1820. In recent years Tadley has become a township, with residential estates covering the former heath lands. Development has occurred on either side of the Hampshire/Berkshire border following the growth of a government establishment in the 1950s and the designation of Basingstoke as a London overspill town in the 1970s.

Parking in Tadley

Good variety of parking within the town.

Refreshments

Good variety of pubs, and other places to eat.

Access by Public Transport

Public Bus Services operates within the town and surrounding area.

[hampshiretowns]