West Hendred
Encyclopedia
West Hendred is a village and civil parish about 3 miles (5 km) east of Wantage
. It was part of Berkshire
until the 1974 boundary changes
transferred it to Oxfordshire
.
West Hendred is downland village, its parish stretching from the Ridgeway in the south through the spring line and meadows to the former marshland of the Oxfordshire plain in the north. The parish is about 2000 acres (809.4 ha) in area and 6 miles (10 km) long, but only being about 1/2 mi wide at the widest point. This is an example of a downland linear parish encompassing a wide variety of land types – chalk
downland
, greensand
on the spring line and clay to the north.
The Great Western Main Line
crosses the northern part of the parish. The Icknield Way
and Ridgeway
cross the parish in the south.
The parish includes the hamlet
of East Ginge, which is immediately below the Downs. Neighbouring hamlet West Ginge, however, is in the parish of Lockinge
. Both of the hamlets have populations less than 30, although records from the 1881 and 1901 censuses show that they were more extensive with several occupied farms up to the Downs.
The parish has good examples of post-medieval drovers' roads, a Roman road
, a buried Roman villa
and well-preserved medieval watercress
beds.
of land to thegn
Brihtric by Eadwig in AD 955 and by Edgar the Peaceful in AD 964 to Abingdon Abbey
In 1538 Corpus Christi College, Oxford
became the Lord of the Manor
. The college still owns considerable land in the village and surrounding area.
The Church of England parish church
of the Holy Trinity
is a 13th century building on the site of a former wooden Saxon
church, with small flying buttress
es and a series of carved sundials on the wall outside. The most notable historical element of the church is the floor tiling. These are good examples, if worn, of medieval tiles. Holy Trinity is a Grade I listed building as it is predominantly representative of one phase of building.
The last head teacher of the parish school, from 1945 to 1967, was E.A.G. Prosser. In 1967 the school was closed and combined with East Hendred in new premises.
West Hendred has a public house
, The Hare, on the main A417 road
to Wantage. It is now a gastropub
.
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....
. 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
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
.
West Hendred is downland village, its parish stretching from the Ridgeway in the south through the spring line and meadows to the former marshland of the Oxfordshire plain in the north. The parish is about 2000 acres (809.4 ha) in area and 6 miles (10 km) long, but only being about 1/2 mi wide at the widest point. This is an example of a downland linear parish encompassing a wide variety of land types – chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
downland
Downland
A downland is an area of open chalk hills. This term is especially used to describe the chalk countryside in southern England. Areas of downland are often referred to as Downs....
, greensand
Greensand
Greensand or Green sand is either a sand or sandstone, which has a greenish color. This term is specifically applied to shallow marine sediment, that contains noticeable quantities of rounded greenish grains. These grains are called glauconies and consist of a mixture of mixed-layer clay...
on the spring line and clay to the north.
The Great Western Main Line
Great Western Main Line
The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
crosses the northern part of the parish. The Icknield Way
Icknield Way
The Icknield Way is an ancient trackway in southern England. It follows the chalk escarpment that includes the Berkshire Downs and Chiltern Hills.-Background:...
and Ridgeway
Ridgeway
A ridgeway is a road or path that follows a ridge, or the highest part of the landscape.-Roads and pathways:*The Ridgeway, an ancient track in southern England, which now forms part of the Ridgeway Path or National Trail...
cross the parish in the south.
The parish 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...
of East Ginge, which is immediately below the Downs. Neighbouring hamlet West Ginge, however, is in the parish of Lockinge
Lockinge
Lockinge is a civil parish in Oxfordshire in England, consisting of the villages of East Lockinge and West Lockinge, as well as the hamlet of Betterton, which is also a lost settlement. It is located between the town of Wantage and the village of Ardington. In 1974 it was transferred from Berkshire...
. Both of the hamlets have populations less than 30, although records from the 1881 and 1901 censuses show that they were more extensive with several occupied farms up to the Downs.
The parish has good examples of post-medieval drovers' roads, a Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
, a buried 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...
and well-preserved medieval watercress
Watercress
Watercresses are fast-growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennial plants native from Europe to central Asia, and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by human beings...
beds.
History
The earliest reference to West Hendred is the granting of several hidesHide (unit)
The hide was originally an amount of land sufficient to support a household, but later in Anglo-Saxon England became a unit used in assessing land for liability to "geld", or land tax. The geld would be collected at a stated rate per hide...
of land to thegn
Thegn
The term thegn , from OE þegn, ðegn "servant, attendant, retainer", is commonly used to describe either an aristocratic retainer of a king or nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England, or as a class term, the majority of the aristocracy below the ranks of ealdormen and high-reeves...
Brihtric by Eadwig in AD 955 and by Edgar the Peaceful in AD 964 to Abingdon Abbey
Abingdon Abbey
Abingdon Abbey was a Benedictine monastery also known as St Mary's Abbey located in Abingdon, historically in the county of Berkshire but now in Oxfordshire, England.-History:...
In 1538 Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
became the Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
. The college still owns considerable land in the village and surrounding area.
The 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:...
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...
is a 13th century building on the site of a former wooden 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...
church, with small flying buttress
Flying buttress
A flying buttress is a specific form of buttressing most strongly associated with Gothic church architecture. The purpose of any buttress is to resist the lateral forces pushing a wall outwards by redirecting them to the ground...
es and a series of carved sundials on the wall outside. The most notable historical element of the church is the floor tiling. These are good examples, if worn, of medieval tiles. Holy Trinity is a Grade I listed building as it is predominantly representative of one phase of building.
The last head teacher of the parish school, from 1945 to 1967, was E.A.G. Prosser. In 1967 the school was closed and combined with East Hendred in new premises.
West Hendred has a 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...
, The Hare, on the main A417 road
A417 road
-Streatley - Gloucester :It runs from Streatley at its junction with the A329 to Wantage, over the picturesque Berkshire Downs. In Wantage, it negotiates the market place -Streatley - Gloucester (M5):It runs from Streatley at its junction with the A329 (between Reading and Wallingford) to Wantage,...
to Wantage. It is now a gastropub
Gastropub
Gastropub or Gastrolounge refers to a bar and restaurant that serves high-end beer and food.The term gastropub, a portmanteau of gastronomy and pub, originated in England in the late 20th century. English pubs were drinking establishments and little emphasis was placed on the serving of food. If...
.