Bug's Bottom
| Bug's Bottom | |
|---|---|
| Hemdean Bottom | |
 Bug's Bottom | |
  Location within Reading, Berkshire | |
| Type | Public |
| Location | Reading, Berkshire, UK |
| Coordinates | 51°28′55″N 0°58′55″W / 51.482°N 0.982°W |
| Operator | Reading Borough Council |
Bug's Bottom, also known as Bugs Bottom or Hemdean Bottom, is a public open space on the outskirts of the village and suburb of Caversham in the English town of Reading. It comprises a steep chalk bank that runs from east to west and slopes to the south in the form of a coombe. The site is managed as meadow grassland with a small mature woodland. Some planting has been carried out in order to screen adjacent housing.[1][2]
At the foot of the coombe, the open space can be accessed via an alleyway from Hemdean Road. From here a bridleway allows cyclists and horses to pass through Bug's Bottom to the north, where it meets Gravel Hill, an old sunken lane, now closed to motorised traffic, that connects Emmer Green to Caversham Heights across the north of the open space.[1][3]
Bug's Bottom forms the remains of an agricultural area that was acquired for development in the 1980s. This development was contested by existing local residents, but the developers eventually prevailed, and house building began in the mid-1990s. However, as part of the legal agreement, the land that now makes up the Bug's Bottom open space was not built-on, and was transferred into the ownership of Reading Borough Council.[2][4]
In 2021, Bug's Bottom was the site of the murder of Olly Stephens, a 13-year-old schoolboy who was lured to the site and then fatally stabbed to death. The crime attracted much media attention, primarily because of the young ages of the victim and the perpetrators, and because of the role played by social media. A memorial bench, in the form of a sofa carved out of redwood, is now sited on the field.[5][6][7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 "Bug's Bottom (Hemdean Bottom)". Reading Borough Council. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Bugs Bottom and Furzeplat Management Plan" (PDF). Reading Borough Council. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ Map of Reading, Wokingham & Pangbourne (Map). 1:25000. Ordnance Survey. 2015. ISBN 9780319243527.
- ↑ "Planning Matters" (PDF). Caversham and District Residents' Association. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ Davies, Caroline (24 September 2021). "Two 14-year-olds sentenced for murder of Oliver Stephens, 13". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ↑ Spring, Marianna (20 June 2022). "A social media murder: Olly's story". BBC News. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ↑ "Olly Stephens: Memorial bench unveiled for murdered teen". BBC News. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
External links
[edit]
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