| Wantage | |
  Wantage shown within Oxfordshire |
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| Population | 9,767 (2001) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| - London | 72. History See also History of Oxfordshire The county of Oxfordshire was formed in the early years of the 10th century and is broadly situated in the In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. 3mi |
| District | Vale of White Horse |
| Shire county | Oxfordshire |
| Region | South East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WANTAGE |
| Postcode district | OX12 |
| Dialling code | +44-1235 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| European Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Wantage |
| List of places: UK • England • Oxfordshire | |
Wantage is a town and civil parish in the Vale of the White Horse, near the Thames Valley, in the English county of Oxfordshire (historically in Berkshire), and approximately 10 miles south-southwest of Oxford. The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government Geography It is the valley of the Ock, a stream which joins the Thames from the West at Abingdon Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London History See also History of Oxfordshire The county of Oxfordshire was formed in the early years of the 10th century and is broadly situated in the The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one South East England is one of the nine official Regions of England. Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The OX postcode area, also known as the Oxford postcode area, is a group of postal districts around Abingdon, Bampton, Banbury, Bicester The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Thames Valley Police is one of the largest Home Office Police services in England and the largest non- metropolitan one covering 2200 sq mi (5700 The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and The Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, is the Fire Service serving the county of Oxfordshire. The South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust is the authority responsible for providing NHS Ambulance services in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, South East England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Wantage is a County constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a list of settlements in both the non-metropolitan shire and ceremonial county of Oxfordshire, England. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A town is a type of settlement ranging from a few to several thousand (occasionally hundreds of thousands inhabitants although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. Geography It is the valley of the Ock, a stream which joins the Thames from the West at Abingdon The Thames Valley generally implies the region that drains into the River Thames (the Thames catchment) from west of Cirencester to London England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland History See also History of Oxfordshire The county of Oxfordshire was formed in the early years of the 10th century and is broadly situated in the Berkshire (ˈbɑːkʃə or /ˈbɑːkʃɪə/ say Baak-shuh/-sheer sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a Home County in the South Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, It is famous for being the birthplace of King Alfred the Great. Alfred the Great (also Ælfred from the Old English Ælfrēd ˈælfreːd (c
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Geography and character
It is located at the foot of the Berkshire Downs in the Vale of the White Horse, amidst prime horse racing country. The Berkshire Downs are a Downland area in England lie north of the River Kennet, south of the River Thames, east of Swindon and west Geography It is the valley of the Ock, a stream which joins the Thames from the West at Abingdon There are gallops at Black Bushes and nearby villages with racing stables include Letcombe Bassett, East Hendred, Lockinge and Uffington. East Hendred is a Village and Civil parish, near Wantage, in the English county of Oxfordshire (formerly in Berkshire) Uffington is a Village and Civil parish in Oxfordshire (formerly Berkshire) best known as the location of the Uffington White Horse Wantage includes the suburbs of Belmont to the west and Charlton to the east. Grove to the north is still just about detached and is a separate parish. Grove is a Village and Civil parish in the English county of Oxfordshire (though formerly in Berkshire) which is best-known as the Wantage parish stretches from the northern edge of its housing up onto the Downs in the south, covering Chain Hill, Edge Hill, Wantage Down, Furzewick Down and Lattin Down. Chain Hill is one of the hills of the North Wessex Downs, located in the Civil parish of Wantage in the English county of Oxfordshire The Edgehill Springs rise between Manor road and Spike Lodge Farms and the Letcombe Brook flows through the town. Because it is right in the middle of the Vale and just off the Downs, Wantage tends to be the main touring centre for the area and is home to the Vale and Downland Museum. There is a large market square containing the famous statue of King Alfred, surrounded by many shops with 18th century facades. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system Quieter streets radiate out from there, including towards the large parish church (see below). A parish church, in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a Parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches
Developments
As of 2007, Wantage is developing and changing. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. In recent years 4 or more significant housing developments have been constructed bringing large increases in population to the town. At least one development (including the new health centre) has been on a greenfield site adjacent to the A338 road towards Oxford. Route of Road The road begins in central Bournemouth before heading northward as a grade separated Dual carriageway, one of the main roads in the South Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, The other three, however, have been on brownfield sites, converting a scrapyard next to the Letcombe Brook. While making the town tidier, the impact on the wildlife, particularly around the Letcombe Brook, may not be positive.
Since 2006, a large commercial development has been under construction with a Sainsbury's supermarket as a central focus. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. J Sainsbury plc ( is the parent company of Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd commonly known as Sainsbury's (also Sainsbury and JS) the third largest This supermarket is double the size of the previous one and will have a significant impact on the town by drawing more visitors from outlying villages. The impact could be positive, preventing the town becoming a commuter town and retaining some commercial activity. A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential from which most of the Workforce commute out to earn their livelihood Alternatively, it could be negative, driving the few remaining independent retailers out of business. The supermarket chain has a similarly large store in nearby Didcot (20 minutes drive away).
Local government
Wantage has a town council consisting of sixteen councillors, twelve of whom (as of 2007) are Liberal Democrat. A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or Parishes A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. It is also part of the district of the Vale of White Horse. Geography It is the valley of the Ock, a stream which joins the Thames from the West at Abingdon The town was twinned with Seesen (Germany) in 1979 and Mably (France) in 1990. Seesen is a town and a municipality in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Mably is a Town and commune in the Loire département of central France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. It has schools like Wantage Elemantary School etc. . .
Transport
Wantage sits at the crossing of the B4507 valley road, the A417 Reading to Cirencester road and the A338 Hungerford (and junction 14 of the M4 motorway) to Oxford road. Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between Cirencester is a Market town in Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles (150 km west northwest of London For other uses see Hungerford (disambiguation Hungerford is a Market town and Civil parish in Berkshire, The M4 motorway is a Motorway in Great Britain linking London with Wales. Motorway is a term for both a type of Road and a classification or designation Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire,
Wantage was once served by a tramway linking it to the Great Western Railway but little trace of this now remains apart from the former station building in Mill Street. For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West One of the locomotives (Shannon, alias Jane) is preserved at Didcot Railway Centre. Didcot Railway Centre, located in the town of Didcot in the English county of Oxfordshire, is based around the site of an old engine shed
Wantage is connected to Oxford, Didcot, Abingdon and Faringdon by regular bus services. Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, Didcot is a Town in the Thames Valley, in the English county of Oxfordshire (although formerly in Berkshire) Faringdon is a Market town in the Vale of White Horse, in Oxfordshire, England. These services also tend the intervening villages such as East Hanney and Grove. The fastest public bus journey from Wantage to Oxford takes approximately 45 minutes, the slowest can take over 1 hour 15 minutes.
The former Wantage Road railway station was about three miles from the town, in nearby Grove to the north on the A338. Wantage Road railway station (sometimes referred to as Grove railway station) was built 6 years after the Great Western Railway extended their main line from |}A train station, railway station, railroad station, or station yard is a facility at which Passengers may board and alight from Trains A very small portion of the Wilts & Berks Canal is still within the parish.
History
Wantage was a small Roman settlement, but the origins of the name are somewhat controversial. Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410 It is generally thought to be a Saxon phrase meaning 'Decreasing River'. King Alfred the Great was born at the Royal palace there, in the 9th century. Alfred the Great (also Ælfred from the Old English Ælfrēd ˈælfreːd (c The 9th century is the period from 801 to 900 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. Wantage appears in the Domesday Book of 1086. The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey Its value was £61 and it was in the King's ownership until Richard I passed it to the Earl of Albemarle in 1190. Richard I (8 September 1157 &ndash 6 April 1199 was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death Earl of Albemarle is a title created several times The word Albemarle (or Albermarle is an early variant of the French Aumale (Latin Alba Marla, or English White Weekly trading rights were first granted to the town by Henry III in 1216. Henry III (1 October 1207 &ndash 16 November 1272 was the son and successor of John "Lackland" as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 Markets are now held twice weekly, on Wednesday and Saturday.
Royalist troops were stationed in Wantage during the English Civil War, and in the 18th century it gained an unfortunate reputation as 'Black Wantage', the haunt of criminals and vagabonds. Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I during the English Civil War ( 1642 &ndash 1651 The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system The following century, Lord Wantage became a notable local and national benefactor. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Brigadier-General Robert James Loyd-Lindsay Baron Wantage of Lockinge, VC, KCB, FRS, ( April 16 1832 &ndash June He was very involved in founding the English Red Cross Society. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an International humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers worldwide who stated In Wantage, he paid for a marble statue of King Alfred by Count Gleichen to be erected in the market-place, where still stands today. Marble is a nonfoliated Metamorphic rock resulting from the Metamorphism of Limestone, composed mostly of Calcite (a crystalline form of A statue is a Sculpture in the round representing a person or persons an animal or an event normally full-length as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size Admiral Victor Ferdinand Franz Eugen Gustaf Adolf Constantin Friedrich of Hohenlohe-Langenburg GCB ( 11 December 1833 - 31 December He also donated the Victoria Cross Gallery to the town. This contained paintings of deeds which led to the award of a number of Victoria Cross medals, including his own gained during the Crimean War. See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since The Crimean War, also known in Russia as the Eastern War (Восточная война Vostochnaya Vojna) (March 1854–February 1856 was fought
Since 1848, Wantage has been home to the Community of Saint Mary the Virgin, one of the largest communities of Anglican nuns in the world. The Community of Saint Mary the Virgin is an Anglican Nunnery in the Wantage, Oxfordshire, England.
Historic buildings
- Wantage has been the site of a church since at least the 10th century, and the present building of the Church of St Peter and Saint Paul dates from the 13th century, with many additions since. Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and
- King Alfred's School has a highly carved Norman doorway from the old demolished chantry chapel which once stood in the churchyard. For other buildings in Normandy see Architecture of Normandy. Chantry is the English term for the establishment of an institutional Chapel on private land or within a greater church where a priest would chant masses
- A water-powered mill with an undershot water wheel still stands from the time that Wantage was a major centre of the wool trade following the building of the Wilts & Berks Canal in the late 18th century. A factory (previously manufactory) or manufacturing plant is an industrial Building where workers manufacture goods A water wheel is a means of extracting power from the flow (or fall of water otherwise known as Hydropower. Wool is the fiber derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles of animals in the Caprinae family principally sheep, but the hair of certain species The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system
Famous people
- King Alfred the Great was born in Wantage in 849. Alfred the Great (also Ælfred from the Old English Ælfrēd ˈælfreːd (c Events Asia In the Tang Dynasty Chinese capital city of Chang'an, an imperial prince was impeached from his position by officials at
- John Betjeman, Poet Laureate from 1972–1984, lived in Wantage and his book, 'Archie and the Strict Baptists' is based in the town. Sir John Betjeman, CBE ( 28 August 1906 &ndash 19 May 1984 was an English poet writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who A Poet Laureate is a Poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for State occasions and other government events A memorial park has now been established in the town named after him, which includes extracts from his poems in a peaceful wooded area.
- Joseph Butler (1692-1752), Bishop of Bristol and Bishop of Durham, and author of 'Analogy of Religion'. You might also be looking for Joseph G Butler Jr, a philanthropist and historian or Joseph Campbell Butler, founding member of The Lovin' Spoonful Year 1752 ( MDCCLII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar for European countries but not Great Britain) of The Bishop of Bristol heads the Church of England Diocese of Bristol in the Province of Canterbury, in England. See also List of Bishops of Durham The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican Bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in He was born and educated in Wantage.
- Alice FitzWarin, wife of Dick Whittington, legendary medieval three times Lord Mayor of the City of London, grew up in Wantage. Richard Whittington (c 1354&ndash1423 was a Medieval Merchant and Politician, and the real-life inspiration for the Pantomime character Dick The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of (and head of the City of London Corporation. Her father's brass memorial is in the church. Monumental brass is a species of engraved sepulchral memorial which in the early part of the 13th century began to partially take the place of three-dimensional monuments
- Robert James Loyd-Lindsay, Baron Wantage of Lockinge (see above). Brigadier-General Robert James Loyd-Lindsay Baron Wantage of Lockinge, VC, KCB, FRS, ( April 16 1832 &ndash June
- Lester Piggott, noted jockey, went to school in the town (at King Alfred's School). Lester Keith Piggott (born 5 November 1935) is a retired English Jockey, popularly known as "The Long Fellow"
- Richard Symonds lived in Wantage during the 1970s, founding the ill-fated Wantage Railway Enthusiast's Association
- Sarah Kwan was a popular visitor to this quaint town. Richard Symonds (1918? Redditch, Worcestershire, - 15 July 2006, Coventry, West Midlands) was an English She is famous for her badminton success and her characteristic moon face, which is a direct result of her severe Cushing's Syndrome. Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players (singles or two opposing pairs (doubles who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court Moon face is a Medical sign where the face swells up into a rounded shape
- Frances O'Connor, Anglo-Australian actress born in Wantage on June 12, 1967. Frances O'Connor (born 12 June 1967) is an Australian actress. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. She made a name for herself in the adaptation of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, costarring Jonny Lee Miller and Alessandro Nivola. Jonathan "Jonny" Lee Miller (born 15 November 1972) is an English actor Alessandro Antine Nivola (born June 28, 1972) is an American Actor, perhaps best known for his roles in the films Best Laid Plans She then went on to star with Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley in Bedazzled. Brendan James Fraser (born December 3 1968 is a Canadian-American Film and stage actor Elizabeth Jane Hurley (born 10 June 1965 is an English model and former actress who became known as a girlfriend of Hugh Grant in the 1990s Bedazzled is a 2000 motion picture remake of the ( 1967) film Bedazzled, originally written by Peter Cook
External links
- Wantage Community Website
- Wantage Town Council
- Wantage Churches Together
- Vale and Downland Museum, Wantage
- Royal Berkshire History: Wantage
- Wantage Silver Band
- King Alfred's school
- CTC Wantage Section
- Wantage Dive Club
- Wantage Choral Society
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