Hatford
Encyclopedia
Hatford is a small village and civil parish of some 1000 acres (404.7 ha) in the Vale of White Horse
. It was part of Berkshire
until the 1974 boundary changes
transferred it to Oxfordshire.
, provides regular transport to the nearby market towns of Faringdon
and Wantage
. There is no shop in the village and no public house
. There was an off-licence until the Second World War
, until this received a direct hit from a German bomb (see below).
settlement was discovered. The lane leading north out of the village is called Sandy Lane.
spearhead, found near the river Hat. Signs of an early Iron Age
settlement have also been found and there is thought to have been at least one Roman villa
, in fields next to the present village. Despite its long history, the population of Hatford has not changed much in size since the time of the Domesday Book
, when it had some 120 residents.
Hatford has had two Church of England parish church
es. After serving the village for almost a century, the later church of the Holy Trinity
became dilapidated and was finally deconsecrated and sold in 1972, for use as a private dwelling. The older Saint George
's was reopened in the same year, reroofed in 1973 and reglazed in 1974, once more to assume its role as the place of worship for the village.
St George's stands on the site of the Saxon
church mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. It is mostly Early English Gothic, with a Norman
south doorway to nave
and chancel
arch and a Norman font
. One Saxon
window is still visible. There is a sundial
carved into the stone near the doorway. This old church is famous for being the scene of the marriage between Anne Dudley
, the widowed Countess of Warwick
, and Sir Edward Unton of Wadley House on 29 April 1555. The lady was the daughter of Edward Seymour, the Duke of Somerset
and niece to Jane Seymour
, who married King Henry VIII
.
The manor house
, next to St George's parish church, has an 18th century front but parts of the house date from the 15th century or even earlier. It stands at the western approach to the village and has an uninterrupted view of the Berkshire Downs
and the Uffington White Horse
. On the other side of St George's is the rectory
. Next to the rectory, facing the B4508 road through the village, is Hatford Cottage, which was converted into a single house from a row of very early cottages. It was an antique shop in the 1960s.
In 1643, during the English Civil War
, the parish register
records the burials of two soldiers killed in action.
The old village off-licence received a direct hit from a German bomb in September 1940. One village girl was killed and two young London boys, who had been evacuated
to stay with their grandparents, in order to escape the Blitz
.
thresher turned poet, Stephen Duck
, worked here in the early 19th century and commemorated life on a Hatford Farm in one of his last poems.
Vale of White Horse
The Vale of White Horse is a local government district of Oxfordshire in England. The main town is Abingdon, other places include Faringdon and Wantage. There are 68 parishes within the district...
. It was part of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
until the 1974 boundary changes
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
transferred it to Oxfordshire.
Amenities
As Hatford is so small, there are virtually no amenities, but the Community Bus Service, from Stanford in the ValeStanford in the Vale
Stanford in the Vale is a large village and civil parish about south-east of Faringdon and north-west of Wantage in the Vale of White Horse. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire....
, provides regular transport to the nearby market towns of Faringdon
Faringdon
Faringdon is a market town in the Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. It is on the edge of the Thames Valley, between the River Thames and the Ridgeway...
and Wantage
Wantage
Wantage is a market town and civil parish in the Vale of the White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. The town is on Letcombe Brook, about south-west of Abingdon and a similar distance west of Didcot....
. There is no shop in the village and no public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
. There was an off-licence until the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, until this received a direct hit from a German bomb (see below).
Geography
The sandstone soil is a rich source of sand and gravel. Sand has been extracted here for many years and it was during quarrying, between 1937 and 1958, that an early Iron AgeBritish Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
settlement was discovered. The lane leading north out of the village is called Sandy Lane.
History
The earliest evidence of human habitation is a Bronze AgeBronze Age Britain
Bronze Age Britain refers to the period of British history that spanned from c. 2,500 until c. 800 BC. Lasting for approximately 1700 years, it was preceded by the era of Neolithic Britain and was in turn followed by the era of Iron Age Britain...
spearhead, found near the river Hat. Signs of an early Iron Age
British Iron Age
The British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
settlement have also been found and there is thought to have been at least one Roman villa
Roman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
, in fields next to the present village. Despite its long history, the population of Hatford has not changed much in size since the time of the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, when it had some 120 residents.
Hatford has had two Church of England parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
es. After serving the village for almost a century, the later church of the Holy Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
became dilapidated and was finally deconsecrated and sold in 1972, for use as a private dwelling. The older Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
's was reopened in the same year, reroofed in 1973 and reglazed in 1974, once more to assume its role as the place of worship for the village.
Anglo-Saxon architecture
Anglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the history of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid-5th century until the Norman Conquest of 1066. Anglo-Saxon secular buildings in Britain were generally simple, constructed mainly using timber with thatch for roofing...
church mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. It is mostly Early English Gothic, with a Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
south doorway to nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
arch and a Norman font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
. One Saxon
Anglo-Saxon architecture
Anglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the history of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid-5th century until the Norman Conquest of 1066. Anglo-Saxon secular buildings in Britain were generally simple, constructed mainly using timber with thatch for roofing...
window is still visible. There is a sundial
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
carved into the stone near the doorway. This old church is famous for being the scene of the marriage between Anne Dudley
Anne Dudley, Countess of Warwick
Anne Dudley Countess of Warwick was a writer during the sixteenth century in England, along with her sisters Lady Margaret Seymour and Lady Jane Seymour....
, the widowed Countess of Warwick
Earl of Warwick
Earl of Warwick is a title that has been created four times in British history and is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the British Isles.-1088 creation:...
, and Sir Edward Unton of Wadley House on 29 April 1555. The lady was the daughter of Edward Seymour, the Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp of Hache, KG, Earl Marshal was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549....
and niece to Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution for trumped up charges of high treason, incest and adultery in May 1536. She died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of...
, who married King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
.
The manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
, next to St George's parish church, has an 18th century front but parts of the house date from the 15th century or even earlier. It stands at the western approach to the village and has an uninterrupted view of the Berkshire Downs
Berkshire Downs
The Berkshire Downs are a range of chalk downland hills in southern England, part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
and the Uffington White Horse
Uffington White Horse
The Uffington White Horse is a highly stylised prehistoric hill figure, 110 m long , formed from deep trenches filled with crushed white chalk...
. On the other side of St George's is the rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
. Next to the rectory, facing the B4508 road through the village, is Hatford Cottage, which was converted into a single house from a row of very early cottages. It was an antique shop in the 1960s.
In 1643, during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, the parish register
Parish register
A parish register is a handwritten volume, normally kept in a parish church or deposited within a county record office or alternative archive repository, in which details of baptisms, marriages and burials are recorded.-History:...
records the burials of two soldiers killed in action.
The old village off-licence received a direct hit from a German bomb in September 1940. One village girl was killed and two young London boys, who had been evacuated
Evacuations of civilians in Britain during World War II
Evacuation of civilians in Britain during the Second World War was designed to save the population of urban or military areas in the United Kingdom from aerial bombing of cities and military targets such as docks. Civilians, particularly children, were moved to areas thought to be less at risk....
to stay with their grandparents, in order to escape the Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
.
Literary connection
The WiltshireWiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
thresher turned poet, Stephen Duck
Stephen Duck
Stephen Duck was an English poet whose career reflected both the Augustan era's interest in "naturals" and its resistance to classlessness....
, worked here in the early 19th century and commemorated life on a Hatford Farm in one of his last poems.