Chapel Row

Chapel Row is a small settled locality in West Berkshire, and part of the civil parish of Bucklebury (where according to the grid ref the 2011 Census population was mostly included ), England. The settlement is on a minor crossroads, on the C road topping the northern escarpment between Thatcham and Theale above the Kennet valley below and is centred 5.5mi east north-east of Newbury.HistorySince the mid 17th century, an inn has stood near to the locality's green. The site is now occupied by The Bladebone Inn.In the 18th century, Chapel Row became known for its revels, which were held on the Monday following the feast of Saint Anne. The revels featured events such as backswording (described by Joseph Addison in The Spectator as "a ring of cudgel players who broke one another's heads in order to make some impression on their mistresses' hearts"). The sport was not featured in a number of later fayres as at least one contender was reported to have been killed. An 1812 Reading Mercury article on the fayre focusses primarily on agriculture, stating that the event was an opportunity to trade cattle and employ farmhands.