West Hendred

West Hendred is a village and civil parish, near Wantage, in the English county of Oxfordshire (formerly in Berkshire). It is downland village, stretching from the Ridgeway in the south through the springline and meadows to the former marshland of the Oxfordshire plain in the north. The Great Western railway crosses within the parish boundary to the far north. The Icknield Way and Ridgeway cross the parish in the south.

The parish is about 2000 acres and 5 miles long in total, despite it only being about half a mile wide at the widest point - a classic example of a ribbon village encompassing a wide variety of land types.

The parish includes the hamlets of East and West Ginge, which are immediately under the Downs and have very good examples of Neolithic road systems (Drovers' Road) and a buried Roman villa. They are also the site of medieval watercress beds.

The earliest reference to the village is the granting of several hides of land to thegn Brihtric by Edwy in 955AD and by Edgar in 964AD to Abingdon Abbey (see: [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62718 British History report] ). In 1528, the Lords of the Manor became Corpus Christi Collage, Oxford, who still own considerable land in the village and surrounding area.

Holy Trinity Church is the parish church - this is a 13th century church built on the site of a wooden Saxon church, with minute flying buttresses and a series of carved sundials on the wall outside. The most interesting historical element of the church is the floor tiling - these are excellent examples, if worn, of medieval tiles.

The local school closed in 1967 (head teacher 1945 to 1967: E.A.G. Prosser) and was combined with East Hendred in new premises.

One public house, The Hare, survives - this is located on the main road (the A417 to Wantage).

See also

* East Hendred

External links

* [http://www.westhendred.net/ West Hendred Village Hall]
* [http://www.berkshirehistory.com/churches/westhendred.html Royal Berkshire History: West Hendred Parish Church]
* [http://www.hendreds.oxon.sch.uk/ The Hendreds School]
* [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62718 British History Online]