Urchfont
Encyclopedia
Urchfont is a small, rural village to the north of Salisbury Plain
in Wiltshire
, England
, about seven miles from the market town of Devizes
. The civil parish
includes the hamlet
s of Wedhampton and Lydeway . The population of Urchfont ward is 1,690, according to the 2001 Census.
VC
was born in Urchfont in 1914. An Air Observer/Navigator in the Royal Air Force
, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross when he was killed in action in 1940.
Game show cheat, Major Charles Ingram
, lives in the village, as did cricket scorer, Bill Frindall
, a.k.a. the `Bearded Wonder` until his death.
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, about seven miles from the market town of Devizes
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The town is about southeast of Chippenham and about east of Trowbridge.Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place where a market is held once a week...
. The civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
includes the hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
s of Wedhampton and Lydeway . The population of Urchfont ward is 1,690, according to the 2001 Census.
History of the name
The name of Urchfont is possibly derived from Latin fons meaning 'spring, fountain, well' (cf. fount), and the first element may be a lost personal name such as Eohric. Over 100 variations of the spelling are recorded; e.g. Lerchesfonte (1086), Erchesfonte(e) (1175, 1605), Erkesfonte (1175), Archesfunte (font)(1179, 1376, 1426), Ur(i)chesfunte (1242, 1289), Orchesfunte (1259), Orcheffunte (1428), Archfounte al. Urshent (1564), Urchefount al. Urshent (1611), Urshent al. Erchfont (1695). Shown to the left is the present-day village hall, erected in 1929-1930, which bears the name "Erchfont".Notable people
Sergeant Thomas GrayThomas Gray (VC)
Thomas Gray VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
VC
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
was born in Urchfont in 1914. An Air Observer/Navigator in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross when he was killed in action in 1940.
Game show cheat, Major Charles Ingram
Charles Ingram
Charles Ingram is a former British Army major who made headlines worldwide after he was accused of cheating in the game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? in 2001. He was convicted of deception, although he maintains that he did not cheat...
, lives in the village, as did cricket scorer, Bill Frindall
Bill Frindall
William Howard Frindall, MBE was an English cricket scorer and statistician. He was familiar to cricket followers from his appearances on the BBC Radio 4 programme Test Match Special, nicknamed the Bearded Wonder by Brian Johnston for his ability to research the most obscure cricketing facts in...
, a.k.a. the `Bearded Wonder` until his death.
See also
- List of places in Wiltshire
- List of civil parishes in England
- Urchfont Manor CollegeUrchfont Manor CollegeUrchfont Manor College is a residential college for adult education which opened in 1947. The college is owned and operated by Wiltshire Council; it is also used as a conference centre.-Urchfont Manor:...