Hurley, Berkshire

Hurley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire.

Hurley is famous for its proximity to the River Thames. It is also within easy reach of Henley-on-Thames, Oxford and London. The parish includes the villages and hamlets of Cockpole Green, Warren Row, Knowl Hill, Burchett's Green and part of Littlewick Green. Hurley is an affluent area and house prices are higher than the national average.

The old manor estate of Hall Place (1728) is now the home of Berkshire College of Agriculture. The Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (IGER) also had a facility at Hurley until 1992. The other great mansion in the parish was Lady Place (demolished 1837) which stood adjoining the present parish church which was originally a priory. It was the home of the Barons Lovelace. Hurley is often used as a mooring for barges and motor launches, or by campers. The weir at Hurley Lock is considered the premier venue in the United Kingdom for freestyle kayaking.

The village is home to reputedly the oldest still-working inn in Britain, 'The Olde Bell'; it was founded in 1135 as the hostelry of Hurley Priory. The nave of the priory church survives as the current parish church.

Cricket has been played in Hurley for over 100 years. The club currently plays in the Chiltern League on Saturdays and friendly fixtures against local rivals on Sundays. The beautiful ground is typified with an Old English plane tree that lies within the boundaries. The clubhouse was rebuilt in the 1970s after fire destroyed the previous wooden one.

A riverside picnic scene in the James Bond film From Russia With Love was filmed near the village.