What did they sound like?

[Sloe Gin]

Many years ago there was an old boy who often used to call in to our house who had an extremely broad Berkshire accent.  My mother (who wasn't from Berkshire) was fascinated by the way he spoke, and tried to write down some of the things he said.  I came across some of her notes a while ago, inside a book.  A few snippets:

Er's a damn fool, en er. 
He (or she) is a damn fool, isn't he (or her)

Ent that a damn gurt house they be buildin up thur, ben um.
That's a damn great big house they're building up there, aren't they.

This un likes his tonic, didn'er.
No idea what that was about! 

If you can find a book called Downland Echoes by Victor L. Whitechurch (1924), it will give you quite a flavour of old-time rural Berkshire.  Victor Whitechurch was the vicar of Blewbury from 1904 and also a prolific author.  Downland Echoes has fictionalised anecdotes about the people of the Berkshire downland villages and the local dialect is well represented.  The book is out of copyright and modern reprints are available if you don't find an original copy.  There is a sequel called A Downland Corner which is harder to find.