Wokingham Society logo

      The Wokingham Society

     Working to protect Wokingham town's past, present and future

Registered Charity no. 274988

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Wokingham panorama

Welcome to the Wokingham Society

The Wokingham Society is a Civic Society established in the 1960s to combat the threat to the town's buildings and facilities from widespread and often thoughtless redevelopment. Although it has not always been possible to prevent the loss of individual landmarks, the Society's voice has been significant in helping to preserve many local historical features and to ensure that development has been sensitive to the town's heritage.

The Society's aims are clearly set out in the constitution which is available on the website here, but its main purposes may be summarised as:

• Encouraging the conservation of the character and traditions of   Wokingham as an historic market town
• Promoting study of the history of Wokingham and interest in our heritage
• Welcoming new development and business which enhance and invigorate the town
   while constructively opposing measures that do not
• Proposing improvements to the town's environment and amenities


To contact The Wokingham Society please email the Chairman: Peter Must or the Secretary: Lucy Wickham.

Old Wokingham

Local Development Issues

Wokingham has experienced major development in its town centre and in strategic housing locations in the north of the town. Details of these, and the Society’s involvement during the planning stage, can be found here.


South Wokingham Development and Distributor Road


Local Plan Update (2023-2040)


19-21 Market Place

News

As its contribution to the Town Council’s Victorian-themed Heritage Open Day on 20 September 2025 the Wokingham Society mounted a series of panels in the Town Hall identifying the major social, industrial and economic changes during the Victorian age and illustrating the local architecture of Wokingham and its architects. The panels, designed by Committee member John Blair, can be accessed by clicking here.

The Wokingham Society is pleased to announce a new publication to follow on its popular Blue Plaque Trail Guide. Society Committee member and Chair of the Berkshire South-East branch of the Campaign for Real Ale, Kevin Lenton, has produced Wokingham Town Centre’s Closed Pubs and Breweries Trail. Copies of the booklet are available, free of charge, from The Town Council’s Information Centre in the Market Place and the Library in the Carnival Hub in Wellington Road. It has also been made into an eBook which can be viewed here.

Annual General Meeting

The Society’s Annual General Meeting will be held at 7.45pm for 8.00pm on Monday 17 November 2025 in the Main Hall of Wokingham Town Hall. The Meeting will be followed by a talk by Professor Jürgen Adam of Royal Holloway, University of London, about the work of the Emm Brook & Woosehill Meadows Regeneration Project to revive the riverside walk area between Barkham Road and the Woosehill Roundabout. Details of the talk can be found here.


The AGM and the talk are open to all without charge and without the need to book.

Open Meetings

For a list of Open Meeting topics and reports please click here.