Farnborough, Berkshire

Farnborough
Cottages in Farnborough
Farnborough  Farnborough shown within Berkshire
Area	10.5 km^2 (4.1 sq mi)
Population	102 (2011 census including Catmore)[1]
– density	10/km^2 (26/sq mi)
OS grid reference	SU432820
Civil parish	Farnborough
Unitary authority	West Berkshire
Ceremonial county	Berkshire
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	WANTAGE
Postcode district	OX12
Dialling code	01488
Police	Thames Valley
Fire	Royal Berkshire
Ambulance	South Central
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Newbury
List of places UK England Berkshire

Coordinates: 51°32′02″N 1°22′41″W / 51.534°N 1.378°W

Farnborough is a lightly populated village and civil parish in West Berkshire, on slopes the top crest (Ridgeway) of the Berkshire Downs north of Newbury, in the English county of Berkshire. It had 45 homes in total in 2011, most of which formed a group.

The village is centred 3 miles (5 km) SSE of the Oxfordshire town of Wantage.

History

Toponymy

A number of alternative toponyms have been used for Farnborough, including Feornberge (9th century); Fearnbornthaen, Fearbeorh, and Feornbeorh (10th century); Fermberge and Fernbeorngan (11th century); Fernbergam (12th century); and Fearnberughe, Ferenburgh and Farnberg (13th century).^[2]

Evolution

In 1924, William Page and Peter Ditchfield summarised the architecture of the village itself as consisting of "a few brick cottages which are of little interest" and Samuel Lewis in 1848 noted "The soil is extremely various; on the same field are frequently found stiff clay, chalk, and sand: the greater portion of the parish is in downs and sheep-walks (pasture). The surface is hilly, and the springs lie at a great depth". The population on approximately the same boundaries was 204, approximately double that of the early 21st century.^[2]

Geography

The highest point of the parish is at 720 feet (220 m), and is on the hill where the nucleus of the village is. The land slopes downwards to the east, west and south; the parish's lowest point is to the east of the village and is at 511 feet (156 m).^[2]

The village is on a former pack-horse route between Hungerford and Oxford (via Abingdon). In the 18th century the route was diverted; a continuation of the route is evident near East Hendred.^[2]

Parish church

The parish church, which is dedicated to All Saints, is to the south of the village. The building features a western tower, mostly repaired 12th-century stone, except the tower (15th century) and the modern porch.^[2] Restoration work was carried out to the church in 1883 and 1885, which involved reroofing, new windows, a widening of the chancel arch, and the addition of buttresses to the nave.^[2]

^[3]

Demography

Of its 45 homes in 2011, 17 were privately let, the most common category in this parish. Further land use statistics were as follows:

2011 Census Key Statistics

Output area	Population	Homes	Owned outright	Owned with a loan	Privately rented	Socially rented	Other	km²	km² Greenspace[n 1]	km² gardens	km² road[1]
Farnborough (civil parish)	102	45	10	10	17	5	3	10.5	10.5	0.04	0.03

Notable residents

• John Betjeman, poet laureate, lived at Farnborough Rectory to whom a memorial window is in the church.

Nearest places

Notes and references

Notes

1. Comprises cultivated fields, pasture, woodland and common.

References

1. Key Statistics: Dwellings; Quick Statistics: Population Density; Physical Environment: Land Use Survey 2005
2. Page & Ditchfield (1924, p. 21)
3. Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1117198)". National Heritage List for England.

• Page, William; Ditchfield, P H (1924), "Parishes: Farnborough", A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 4, Institute of Historical Research, retrieved 15 April 2011

External links

Media related to Farnborough, Berkshire at Wikimedia Commons