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Burghfield /'//b//ɜr//f//i//l//d/// is a village and large civil parish in West Berkshire, England, with a boundary with Reading. Burghfield can trace its history back to before the Domesday Book, and was once home to three manors: Burghfield Regis, Burghfield Abbas, and Sheffield (or Soefeld). Since the 1980s the population of Burghfield has nearly doubled with the construction of housing estates, making it a dormitory for Reading, Newbury, Basingstoke and the M4 corridor (which crosses the north of the parish). Most of the former sparsely inhabited fields of the hamlet of Pingewood, in the north of the parish, are divided by the M4 motorway and have been converted, after gravel extraction in the mid to late 20th century, into lakes that are used for watersports, fishing, and other leisure activities. They are also a habitat for migrating geese, water fowl and other wildlife. A few higher gravel pits in this area have been drained, clay lined and used as landfill sites. Besides Burghfield and Pingewood, settlements in the parish include Burghfield Common, Burghfield Hill, Burghfield Bridge, Trash Green, Whitehouse Green and Sheffield Bottom.

A Burh is an Old English name for a fortified town or other defended site, (e. g., at Burgh Castle), sometimes centred upon a hill fort though always intended as a place of permanent settlement. Its origin was in military defence; "it represented only a stage, though a vitally important one, in the evolution of the medieval English Borough and of the medieval town", H. R. Loyn asserted. The boundaries of ancient burhs can often still be traced to modern urban borough limits. Most of these were founded by Alfred the Great in a consciously planned policy that was continued under his son Edward the Elder and his daughter, Æthelflaed, "Lady of the Mercians" and her husband Æthelred, Ealdorman of Mercia. Other references trace the changing name of the village as follows: Borgefelle (6th Century. ); Burgefeld, Berfeld (7th and 8th centuries); Burefeld (14th Century); Burfield (16th to 18th centuries). or under the M4 motorway. There was also a barrow cemetery at Field Farm in Pingewood, comprising ten round barrows which were visible on aerial photographs along with the cropmarks of a partially visible rectangular enclosure, and parallel ditched boundaries. Four of the barrows were excavated between 1985 and 1988 in advance of gravel extraction and were found to contain primary cremation burials, some of which were urned. Excavations have shown that this site was later used for burials when the Anglo Saxons moved into the area. There have also been numerous finds of Bronze Age spearheads, and an axe head and a sword in the Pingewood and River Kennet area. Of Iron Age history there is only a ditch and some pits in Burghfield near Amners Farm.

There are many indications of Roman settlement in the parish. The first is a possible prehistoric or Roman settlement and field system near the River Kennet, to the west of Burghfield Mill, but now lost to gravel pits. The earthworks were visible from aerial photographs, and formed a system of fragmented conjoined rectilinear enclosures. An incomplete rectangular enclosure, measuring 12m across, could be the remains of a building. The cropmarks extend over an area measuring approximately 700m by 450m. It is possible that some of the cropmarks may relate to much later features, possibly medieval or post medieval field boundaries. Other possible Roman settlements are indicated by cropmarks in the Pingewood area slightly further to the east and to the south west. Again, some features have been lost to gravel pits. Again in Pingewood, at Berrys Lane and Searle's Farm Lane, there are signs of a possible Roman road flanked by possible field systems and settlements, which are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs. The side ditches of the road are visible extended in a north easterly direction for It may be part of the Roman road from Silchester to Verulamium. The settlements or field systems are defined by a series of ditches, sometimes double ditches, which are parallel and perpendicular to the road. There are three concentrations of ditch systems which appear to form fragments of a larger system of conjoined enclosures. These features have been destroyed by gravel extraction. There have been finds of Roman coins, pottery, and other artefacts in the region.

The Anglo Saxons moved into the area in the 5th century, Burghfield appears to have been divided from very early times into two equal portions, each containing 1 1/2 hides of land, and this division is probably the origin of the two manors of Burghfield that existed later. These manors formerly belonged to Queen Emma of Normandy, until her death in 1052. One half of the lands appear to have been transferred to Ralph de Mortemar around 1070, and they remained in that family until the death of Edmund, the last Earl of March in 1425. The heir to the lands was his nephew, a minor, Richard Duke of York, but on his attainder in 1459 the land passed to the Crown. The other half of Burghfield was awarded to Henry de Ferrers, a Norman soldier from a noble family who took part in the Norman conquest of England. Additionally Sir Nicholas De La Beche (1291–1345) is known to have owned Burghfield at some time. The De La Beche family were powerful landowners and knights in the 14th century. Many of them were retainers to the king, warders to the Tower of London, and Sheriffs of Oxfordshire and Berkshire. The family were influential during the reign of Edward II and Edward III, and were embroiled in the royal intrigue of the time. The two manors in Burghfield were Burghfield Regis and Burghfield Abbas, although the current Parish of Burghfield also includes for the former manor of Sheffield (or Soefeld). King Edward IV, gave Burghfield Regis its Royal title. Its manor house, known as Nether Court, stood on the site now occupied by the rectory in Burghfield village. This manner was sub tenanted to the family of Thomas de Burghfield, who took his name from the village, sometime before 1175. The de Burghfields were also sub tenants of Burghfield Abbas, which had been owned by Reading Abbey from about the same time. The original Burghfield Bridge was commissioned by Matthew de Burghfield, being the lord of the latter manor in the early 13th century, but later on the family had arguments with King Edward I over who should repair it. Sheffield Manor (originally Sewelle) was located in what is now Sheffield Bottom, at the junction of Jaques's Lane and Station Road. The manor of Sheffield was granted by the Count of Évreux to St Martin de Noyon, Charleval, in c. 1086, as an alien Benedictine cell, and was leased privately after 1166–7. Reading Abbey gained possession in 1270. Although known locally as the Priory, it was only a manor and later a grange with a chapel and mill.

The Williams family bought all three manors after the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the village was the childhood home of John Williams, 1st Baron Williams of Thame (1500 – 14 October 1559), an important servant of several Tudor monarchs. Upon his death, having no male heirs, the manors of Burghfield were left to his daughter Margery (Margaret Williams of Rycote) and her husband, Sir Henry Norreys. In 1560 Henry and Margery bestowed Burghfield Regis, now Burghfield Manor, and Burghfield Abbas, now Amners Court to her cousin, Nicholas Williams. Sheffield Manor was retained in the Norreys family. Moatlands Farm was apparently a moated house. It stood just south of Burghfield Mill, where the gravel pits are. In the 18th century, it was the home of the May family. Searle's Farm is an ancient Tudor building now marooned in the middle of the gravel pits in northern Burghfield. One particular room in the house is said to be haunted. Apparently an unmarried serving girl, having discovered she was pregnant, committed suicide by throwing herself from the window during the 19th century. The Old Manor at Whitehouse Green is a small manor house built in 1685 and updated in the 20th Century. It is built of brick with vitreous headers and with an old tile gabled roof and is a Grade II listed building. Burghfield Bridge (rebuilt in stone c. 1770) is also Grade II listed.

Sir Gilbert Blane (1749–1834), a Scottish physician who instituted health reform in the Royal Navy, had a country house at Culverlands near Burghfield. The house was enlarged in 1879 and was later occupied by Sir Charles Wyndham Murray MP. It is described as a plain plastered building with a balustraded parapet and slate roofs. There is an old well with an Oak framed shelter in Burghfield Common in the corner of a small village green, known locally as The Wells, in Bunces Lane and at the Junction with Springwood Lane. The shelter bears the engraved inscription: "In memory of Queen Victoria (1819–1901) in the year of the coronation of her son Edward VII 1902"

In 2001, the population of Burghfield was recorded as 5,894. In 1961, it was only 2,323. Burghfield has a parish council served by 19 parish councillors, as well as being part of the unitary authority of West Berkshire. It is part of the Parliamentary constituency of Wokingham. Burghfield has a residents' association who organise the yearly May Fayre.

Burghfield is about 4 mile (6 km) southwest of Reading. The parish, sharing in its amenities, is a dispersed settlement: Its two main populated areas are Burghfield Common and Burghfield Village; its small hamlets include Burghfield Bridge, Pingewood, Burghfield Hill, Trash Green, Whitehouse Green and Sheffield Bottom. The area is relatively large and of varying density. In 1923 the parish of Burghfield had 4,309 acres of land, of which 1,660 acres were arable, 1,940 acres permanent pasture and 163 acres woods and plantations. The land lies low in the valley of the river Kennet, at an average altitude of a little over 100 feet (30 m) above the ordnance datum, rising in the south west to a height of 302 feet (92 m). The main settlements of Burghfield parish lie along Burghfield Road, the major road out of Reading. From north east to south west: Burghfield Bridge is the closest to Reading and lies by the crossing of the Reading Road over the River Kennet; this is followed by Burghfield Village, after the crossing of the Burghfield Road over the M4 motorway which runs through the north of the parish; Burghfield Hill is in the southern upland part of the parish, naturally enough, at the top of Burghfield Hill; and Burghfield Common – named after the parish common land on which it was built and with by far the largest population – lies, in quick succession, the furthest south west. The south eastern part of Burghfield Common is known as Great Auclum. A corner of north western Burghfield Common is actually in Sulhamstead parish. In the north of the parish, the Kennet Valley, is surrounded by a number of man made lakes, marshland and willow scrub, with old water meadows and Osier bed to the north of the river. Further south, between the M4 motorway and Burghfield Village the ground is flat, and consists of farmland and pastureland with occasional small stands of deciduous woodland. At Burghfield Hill, the slopes are covered in grassland and some larger copses of deciduous woodland, and are dissected by a number of partially wooded valleys and small streams such as Clayhill Brook. The plateau gravels support grassland, deciduous woodland and Scots pine, with small areas of heath land persisting on Wokefield Common which borders Burghfield Common to the south. The grasslands within the Parish are grazed by a wide variety of cattle, sheep and horses. The parish is served by a number of footpaths and bridleways across the fields and open spaces as well as through the woods. These paths and bridleways can be enjoyed by walkers and nature lovers, and are an important resource for the Parish. There are a number of other paths and "cut throughs" allowing pedestrians to move freely around the Parish, away from motorised traffic. The Teg winds Northeast and then East to join Foudry Brook, a tributary of the River Kennet and Kennet and Avon Canal, just South of Reading. The Burghfield Brook forms Burghfield's southern border with Wokefield and Grazeley; a notable feature of this watercourse is Pullens Pond, formed where this brook is damned by a forest access road within Wokefield Common. To the East of this area the brook continues into a small valley, referred to as Burghfield Slade, which contains a larger reservoir of water. Burghfield Brook then continues to the Northeast, and in turn feeds into Foudry Brook, just South of the Teg. Burghfields Eastern boundary is just east of the railway line, near Smallmead, running south from Reading. The northern boundary with Theale and the Southcote area of Reading is formed by the Holy Brook and the Draper's Osier Bed Stream. To the north lie Sheffield Bottom, the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, which run through the very north of the parish and are, today, surrounded by vast flooded gravel pits where there is much wildlife and where fishing, sailing and other watersports are popular pastimes. The Kennet and Avon Canal is crossed by road in two places near the northern borders of the parish, firstly at Burghfield Bridge, being a stone built road bridge, and secondly at Sheffield Bottom by a swing type canal bridge and a stone built road bridge. The road crossings at both are very narrow and are controlled by traffic lights. This excludes smaller footbridges, and the much later M4 motorway crossing of the Kennet and Avon Canal.

In Sheffield Bottom, Hosehill Lake, a flooded gravel pit falling also within Sulhamstead parish, is listed as a nature reserve, and is managed by Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust alongside the Theale Area Bird Conservation Group. The lake is bounded by a footpath, of approximately one mile, with several seating and bird viewing areas. The main entrance to the reserve is opposite the Fox and Hounds pub, Sunnyside, on Station Road, Sheffield Bottom (Theale). The site is important for its wildlife and habitats. It hosts a wide variety of water fowl in the winter, and nightingales join the butterflies and dragonflies in the spring.

Apart from the gravel pits, the non residential portion of the area is mostly farmland. There are, however, still patches of scattered woodland: Bennetts Hill Copse, Brick Kiln Copse, Deans Copse, Jame's Copse, Pinge Wood, Amner's Wood, Clayhill Copse, Pondhouse Copse and Scratchface Copse. Wokefield Common in Wokefield parish is on the border with Burghfield and is accessible by public footpaths at the end of Palmers Lane and Springwood Lane, both off Bunces Lane, Burghfield Common. Omer's Gully, on the northern edge of Burghfield Common, is within Sulhamstead parish.

The Church of England parish church of St Mary in Church Lane, Burghfield village, was originally built in the 12th century, but early in the Victorian era it was completely demolished and replaced by a Norman revival building designed by J. B. Clacy of Reading and completed in 1843.

The main access road is a route from the A4 in Reading, through Burghfield to the south western end of the parish, where the route splits in two, to continue towards Mortimer Common and Tadley respectively. This road is named Burghfield Road to the north east of Burghfield Village, and Reading Road for the remainder of its length. The parish includes Reading services on the M4 motorway, although the nearest access point to the motorway (junction 11) is located 3.5 mile (6 km) to the east. Heavy vehicular access in the area is restricted by the multiple low and narrow bridges over the canal and railways which lie to the north and east. Reading Buses operates services on Routes 2 and 2a between central Reading, Burghfield Common and Mortimer.

The nearest railway stations are Theale to the north, Reading Green Park to the north east and Mortimer to the south. From Theale, services run eastbound to and and westbound to Reading Green Park and Mortimer are both on the Reading to Basingstoke line. All trains at these stations are operated by Great Western Railway. The typical off peak service frequency on both routes is two trains per hour weekdays and Saturdays and hourly on Sundays.

The Kennet and Avon Canal passes through the north of the parish. It links the River Kennet at Newbury to the River Avon at Bath, but forms just part of a larger navigation between the River Thames at Reading and the Floating Harbour at Bristol. The River Kennet was made navigable to Newbury in 1723, and the River Avon to Bath in 1727. The canal between Newbury and Bath opened in 1810. In the later 19th century and early 20th century the canal fell into disuse following competition from the Great Western Railway, who owned the canal. In the latter half of the 20th century the canal was restored, largely by volunteers, and today is a popular heritage tourism destination, for boating, canoeing, fishing, walking and cycling. It is also important for wildlife conservation. There are moorings on the Kennet and Avon Canal on the offside bank downstream of Burghfield Island and at the layby on Burghfield Island (near Burghfield Bridge). The canal has a number of locks, Sheffield Lock, Garston Lock and Burghfield Lock, and a swing bridge along the Burghfield stretch.

There are now a number of services in Burghfield Common, including a recently opened Tesco Express (converted from the former Rising Sun pub); a Post Office with a Nisa Today's supermarket; an Esso petrol station incorporating an 'On the run' mini market; a pharmacy; the Forge Garage; two estate agents (Parker's and Davis Tate); a baker; a window and conservatory supplier; a pet food shop; a hairdresser; a greengrocer; a health centre; a public library and a public swimming pool (both adjacent to The Willink School); a veterinary surgery; a Co op small supermarket; a "Village stores"; a Bangladeshi restaurant/takeaway ("Bahgecha"); a Chinese takeaway; and a Burger and Grill fast food joint. There is also a Village Hall in the area. There are several public houses in Burghfield. The Hatch Gate and The Six Bells sit opposite each other in Burghfield Village, either side of the main Burghfield (Reading) Road. In Burghfield Common there is The Bantam, and formerly The Rising Sun which closed in 2011. In Sheffield Bottom is the Fox and Hounds. At Burghfield Bridge is the Cunning Man, which was built at the start of the 21st century and replaced an older pub with the same name. There is a hotel, Roselawn Hotel, formerly a large Victorian farmhouse, located near the bottom of the Reading Road on Burghfield Hill.

Burghfield Common has its own telephone exchange on Reading Road, serving 2,891 residential premises, and 91 commercial premises. The exchange also covers the nearby villages of Ufton Nervet, and Sulhamstead.

Burghfield Common and the surrounding villages are served by a large water tower located to the southwestern end of the village, just inside Wokefield Common. There is a small sewage works on Clayhill Brook, between Burghfield village and Trash Green.

There is a 45MW gas fired combined cycle gas turbine power station at Cottage Lane, Pingewood, known as Burghfield Generation Plant. It was opened in 1998 and is operated by Scottish and Southern Energy Generation Ltd. It required the laying of a 9 km, 200mm diameter gas pipeline.

The headquarters of The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association is located in Burghfield Hill at Hillfields House, built for Horatio Bland in 1861–2, and the former residence of Henry George Willink. At Sulhamstead House, memorial no.7785. A plaque within the Thames Valley Police training college, listing the names of 12 men who died in the First World War, and 8 men who lost their lives in the Second World War.

+ 2011 Published Statistics: Population, home ownership and extracts from Physical Environment, surveyed in 2005Output areaHomes owned outrightOwned with a loanSocially rentedPrivately rentedOtherkm2 roadskm2 waterkm2 domestic gardensUsual residents km2Civil parish 679 956 256 345 250.658 2.984 1.022 5955 17.11