- Leckhampstead, Berkshire
Leckhampstead is a
village andcivil parish inBerkshire ,England lying in theNorth Wessex Downs . It is a mixture of modern and more traditional thatched houses.It is located in the
West Berkshire district, north of theM4 motorway lying just off the road between Newbury about convert|6|mi|km|lk=on to the south-southeast andWantage about convert|12.5|mi|km|0|lk=on to the north-northwest. The town ofHungerford is about convert|12.5|mi|km|0|lk=on to the southwest.Nearby villages include
Chieveley , Boxford,Chaddleworth ,Brightwalton andPeasemore .History
A number of
Bronze Age features have been recorded near Leckhampstead and a flint arrowhead of this period has been found. [ cite web
url = http://www.pastscape.org.uk/SearchResults.aspx?type=&class1=None&period=Bronze%20Age&county=Berkshire&place=Leckhampstead&yearfrom=ALL&yearto=ALL&recordsperpage=10&source=text&sort=1&nmr=&defra=
title = National Monuments Record ]Roman finds include a 2nd century earring [ cite web
url = http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=233492
title = National Monuments Record (Monument No. 233492) ] andSamian ware . [ cite web
url = http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=233509
title = National Monuments Record (Monument No. 233509) ]An 11th century church has been recorded about convert|0.6|mi|km|0|lk=on east of the present church near present day Chapel Farm. [ cite web
url = http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=233471
title = National Monuments Record (Leckhampstead Old Church) ]Leckhampstead was recorded in the
Domesday Book bin 1086 as "Lecanestede" and was owned byAbingdon Abbey . [cite web
url = http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk/berkshire2.html
title = The Domesday Book Online: Berkshire D-M
accessdate = 2008-01-18 ]A
medieval deer park existed about1228 . [ cite web
url = http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=233510
title = National Monuments Record (Leckhampstead Park) ]Points of Interest
The small, brick and
flint church of St James, built in1859 , lies towards the southern end of the village. It was designed by the notable churcharchitect ,Samuel Sanders Teulon . [cite web
url = http://www.acny.org.uk/venue.php?V=174
title = St James, Leckhampstead
accessdate = 2008-01-18 ] The interior is brick with patterns formed by the use of differently coloured bricks.The
public house in the village is called The Stag.There is an unusual
war memorial on the triangularvillage green . It comprises an obelisk on a plinth with two clock faces, one facing north and one facing south, which incorporate various types ofammunition in them. The chains surrounding the monument are from abattleship that took part in theBattle of Jutland and they are supported on spent shell cases. cite book
last = Billing
first = Joanna (editor)
title = The Hidden Places of The Thames Valley
publisher = Travel Publishing Ltd
date = 1999
pages = 6-7
isbn = 1-902-00734-4 ]The Hangman’s Stone is a boundary stone lying about a mile south of the village at gbmapping|SU431748. It gets its name from a local tale which tells of a sheep rustler who was carrying a stolen sheep over his shoulder with a rope held around his neck. Feeling tired the thief sat on a stone beside the road and fell asleep. The sheep, in struggling to get free, hanged the man by the rope that had remained around his neck. The stone has given its name to the road which passes it, Hangman’s Stone Lane, which leads to the village of Boxford.
Leckhampstead Thicket
Leckhampstead Thicket is a hamlet that lies between Leckhampstead and Chaddleworth (gbmapping|SU429769). There are a number of thatched cottages and a chapel, dated
1874 , which is one of the very few Primitive Methodist chapels still in use.References
----
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
