Faringdon
From Free net encyclopedia
Template:Infobox England place with map Faringdon is a picturesque market town in the Vale of White Horse, near the Thames Valley in southern England, United Kingdom. It is located between the River Thames and the Ridgeway.
The name Faringdon means fern covered hill. It was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Wessex. There was a castle built by Alfred the Great located in Faringdon.
In the Domesday book, Faringdon is recorded as a manor and a mill. The town was given a royal charter by King John in 1216. The weekly market is still held today.
During the English Civil War, Sir Robert Pye was kept prisoner in his own home: the Faringdon House. The smaller current house was built in around 1730. The spire of All Saints' church was partly destroyed by a cannon-ball that went astray.
The Town Hall dates from the 17th century. It remains the centre of the town and its focal point.
Close to the East side of town is Faringdon Folly, situated atop Folly Hill (also known as Faringdon Hill), a Greensand outcrop. In common with Badbury Hill, close-by to the West, it has an ancient ditched defensive ring. This was fortified by supporters of Matilda, during her campaign to claim the throne from King Stephen. It was soon razed to the ground by Stephen. Oliver Cromwell fortified it in his unsuccessful campaign to deal with the Royalist garrison that was based on Faringdon House. The Pye family had Scots Pines planted around the summit, around the time that Faringdon House was rebuilt. This creates a conspicuous landmark that can be seen from afar, including from the Vale of White Horse, the White Horse Hills, the Berkshire Downs, near Lockinge and the Cotswold Hills, to the North. The folly itself was built by Lord Berners in 1935. It is 100 feet high and affords panoramic views of the Vale of White Horse. During the Second World War, it was used by the Home Guard as an observation post. In 1982, it was restored by Robert Heber-Percy and handed over to the town, in Trust.
Faringdon used to have a railway station, until the Beeching cuts.
On February 2, 2004, Faringdon was granted Fairtrade Town status.