Villagers are appealing to improve the safety of one of the most dangerous junctions for motorists and particularly cyclists in Wokingham after multiple recent accidents.
Villagers in Finchampstead, Wokingham, are urging action to make one of the area’s most dangerous junctions safer after a string of recent crashes.
The three‑way junction of The Ridges, Jubilee Road and Rectory Hill sits on a ridge overlooking fields towards the River Blackwater. The 40mph junction has become a known blackspot after an ambulance crash on May 23, 2025, and further collisions on November 18, November 19, and January 21 this year.
The spot was once dominated by the village war memorial cross, consecrated on Sunday, October 31, 1920, and for more than a century the silhouette marked Finchampstead from the hill. But since cars arrived the junction has repeatedly proved unsafe because of poor visibility.
Locals say there is “zero visibility”, especially for traffic coming south from California or north from the village, and cyclists risk their lives trying to turn right from Rectory Hill onto The Ridges.
At a long council meeting on January 22, Cllr Peter Harper asked directly about the crash rate. He said: “There have been a significant number of accidents at the old war memorial junction in Finchampstead over the last six months, including a car rolled onto its side. ”
He added: “What is the council planning to do to prevent future accidents at this junction?”
Executive member for active travel, transport and highways Cllr Adrian Betteridge answered by citing police data. He said: “The most frequent causes [of accidents here] attributed by the police are: drivers failing to look properly; mis-judging other vehicles or travelling too fast for the conditions.
“Only one collision at the junction referenced the road layout – the only case since 2020.
“Overall the pattern points to issues with driver behaviour rather than road defects.
“Additional chevrons and markings were added to the junction in 2023. Officers have reviewed the existing warning signs and believe they remain appropriate.
“We are in the process of renewing the white lines on the main road around the bend when we are next able to do so.
“The costs of re-modelling a junction such as this would be the equivalent of many years of our pedestrian crossing programme, for example and we have to allocate our limited available money to respond to the most pressing issues.
“There isn’t clear evidence to support further changes.”
Finchampstead Parish Council says it will not wait for police statistics and plans to use housing developers’ money to fund improvements. The scheme is out to tender and, if approved, work is expected to take place this year.
Cllr Harper said evidence of recent crashes had been passed to the highways department and warned the village could not wait. He told councillors: “These accidents are happening now. Another accident, as you know, happened yesterday. We sent photographic evidence of what was happening with police in attendance.
“It’s not down to excessive speed – it’s the nature of that junction – where even an ambulance that was waiting to cross from The Greyhound Pub through to The Ridges was involved in an accident.
“These are professional drivers who know what they’re doing. It’s the junction layout which is causing the problem.
“It’s a real problem that needs tackling now. We can’t wait for the Parish Council re-jigging of the junction.”
Cllr Adrian Betteridge conceded: “Possibly the only thing that can be done is re-modelling the junction.”
The speed limit at the junction remains 40 miles per hour.
Ted O'Neill, Local Democracy Reporter
