| HISTORY |
- The name 'Aeldremanestone' came from Old English for "Ealdormans Homestead". The Ealdorman — or Alderman — was a person of extreme importance. His equivalent today would be the Lord-Lieutenant of the County.
- According to the Anglo Saxon Chronicles, in 871 an Ealdorman Aethelwulf fought the Danes with the King at nearby Englefield.
- In the Domesday Survey of 1086, the Aldermaston estate consisted of a mill, worth twenty shillings, and two fisheries, worth five shillings, and was held by William the Conqueror.
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In February BBC Berkshire featured an article asking people to nominate their village for a Village of the Year contest. Well you've nominated, and now we can reveal the winner. It's Aldermaston! It may be a name synonymous with the Atomic Weapons Establishment, (AWE) but in fact the AWE is in the south of the parish, much closer to Heath End, Tadley. The village of Aldermaston was almost untouched by the development of the research site and has always remained a small country village.
Organised by the Community Council for Berkshire, villages were judged on six aspects of village life in total: Building Community Life, Business, Young People, Older People, Environment and ICT (Information Communication Technology). Aldermaston came out on top as the overall winner, winning four out of six categories. Englefield won the Environment category and Datchet came top in the Older People category.
| "All residents are encouraged to get involved in village life, from the very youngest to the oldest." |
| Judge's comment on Aldermaston |
Category winners each receive £100 prize money and all successful villages will be presented with a framed commemorative certificate. The prizes will be presented at an awards evening in Ashampstead on Tuesday 3 October. Winning the Building Community Life category landed Aldermaston an extra £750 as prize money.
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| Aldermaston Court |
Judges commented: "Aldermaston really stood out because of its amazing inclusiveness. All residents are encouraged to get involved in village life, from the very youngest to the oldest." As the 2006 Berkshire Village of the Year, Aldermaston will now go forward to represent the county in the prestigious Village of the Year for England competition, with the opportunity of gaining recognition at national level as well as a share of the prize fund totalling more than £39,000. |
