Kingston Lisle | |
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St. John the Baptist parish church | |
Location within Oxfordshire | |
Population | 225 (2011 Census) |
OS grid reference | SU325876 |
• London | 64 miles (103 km) |
Civil parish |
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District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Wantage |
Postcode district | OX12 |
Dialling code | 01367 |
Police | Thames Valley |
Fire | Oxfordshire |
Ambulance | South Central |
UK Parliament | |
Website | Kingston Lisle |
Kingston Lisle is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse, England, about 4+1⁄2 miles (7 km) west of Wantage and 5 miles (8 km) south-southeast of Faringdon. The parish includes the hamlet of Fawler, about 1⁄2 mile (800 m) west of Kingston Lisle village. The 2011 Census recorded the parish population as 225. [1] Kingston Lisle was part of Berkshire until the 1974 local government boundary changes transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire.
The village is a spring line settlement at the foot of Blowing Stone Hill, which is part of the escarpment of the Berkshire Downs. The parish measures about 4+1⁄2 miles (7 km) north – south and about 1+1⁄4 miles (2 km) wide at its widest point. The highest point in the parish is Rams Hill, whose top is 764 feet (233 m) above sea level. Rams Hill is on the Berkshire Downs escarpment about 1 mile (1.6 km) southwest of the village and on the parish boundary with Uffington.
The Ridgeway passes through the parish less than 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the village. It is a prehistoric road that is now a long-distance footpath. The Blowing Stone, a sarsen with holes in it, is about 1⁄4 mile (400 m) south of the village. Legend has it that King Alfred the Great blew through it to summon his troops for the Battle of Ashdown in 871.
"Kingston" is a common English toponym. It means simply a tūn of the king. Tūn is Old English for a fence, and hence came to mean an enclosure, farm or manor. An entry for 1220 in the Book of Fees records it as Kingeston. [2] The suggestion that it is derived from "King's Stone", referring to the Blowing Stone, is false etymology. The suffix "Lisle" was added in the 14th century, when it was the surname of the lord of the manor. 14th-century Charter Rolls record it as Kyngeston Lisle in 1322 and Kingston del Isle in 1336. [2] It distinguishes the village and parish from Kingston Bagpuize, which is 8 miles (13 km) to the northeast.
The nave and chancel of the Church of England parish church of Saint John the Baptist was built in about 1200. The chancel windows are each 14th-century Decorated Gothic. [3] Some 14th-century stained glass survives in a south window of the chancel. Around the east and north windows of the chancel are 14th-century murals of Saint Peter, Saint Paul, and the martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist. The church is a Grade II* listed building. [4] St John's parish is part of the Ridgeway Benefice, along with the parishes of Childrey, Letcombe Bassett, Letcombe Regis, Sparsholt and West Challow. [5]
The Domesday Book in 1086 records Kingston Lisle as having 31 households. [6] Kingston Lisle Park is a 17th-century country house on the edge of the village. It was enlarged early the 18th and 19th centuries and is a Grade II* listed building. [7] Between 1805 and 1807 the section of the Wilts & Berks Canal between Longcot and Challow was completed. [8] It passes through the parish at Kingston Common about 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) north of the village. Traffic on the canal had virtually ceased by 1901 and the route was formally abandoned in 1914. The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust is currently restoring the canal. The Great Western Main Line through the Vale of White Horse was opened in 1840. It passes through the northern extremity of Kingston Lisle parish, about 1+3⁄4 miles (3 km) north of the village.
The village has one pub, the Blowing Stone Inn. [9] The parish is served by Uffington Primary School just over 2 miles (3 km) away. [10]
The village features in Thomas Hughes' novel Tom Brown's School Days . [11]
The Vale of White Horse is a local government district of Oxfordshire in England. It was historically a north-west projection of Berkshire. The area is commonly referred to as the 'Vale of the White Horse'. It is crossed by the Ridgeway National Trail in its far south, across the North Wessex Downs AONB at the junction of four counties. The northern boundary is defined by the River Thames. The name refers to Uffington White Horse, a prehistoric hill figure.
Shalbourne is a village and civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire, about 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest of Hungerford, Berkshire. The parish has a number of widely spaced small settlements including Bagshot and Stype, to the north, and Rivar and Oxenwood to the south. Before 1895, about half of the parish of Shalbourne lay in Berkshire.
Ufton Nervet is a village and civil parish in West Berkshire, England centred 6 miles (10 km) west southwest of the large town of Reading and 7 miles east of Thatcham. Ufton Nervet has an elected civil parish council.
Shrivenham is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire, England, about 5 miles (8 km) south-west of Faringdon. The village is close to the county boundary with Wiltshire and about 7 miles (11 km) east-northeast of Swindon. The 2011 Census recorded the parish population as 2,347. The parish is within the historic boundaries of Berkshire; the 1974 boundary changes transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire for administrative purposes.
Grove is a village and civil parish in the ceremonial county of Oxfordshire, England. Historically, part of Berkshire, it has been administered as part of the Vale of White Horse district of Oxfordshire since 1974. The village is on Letcombe Brook, about 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) north of Wantage and 14 miles (23 km) south-west of Oxford. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 7,178. It is also home to Formula One constructor Williams Racing.
Uffington is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Faringdon and 6 miles (10 km) west of Wantage. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 783. It was originally in the county of Berkshire, but under the Local Government Act 1972 it was transferred for local government purposes to Oxfordshire. The Uffington White Horse hill figure is on the Berkshire Downs on the south side of the parish. The village has been twinned with Le Chevain in France since 1991.
Baulking or Balking is a village and civil parish about 3+1⁄2 miles (5.6 km) southeast of Faringdon in the Vale of White Horse district of Oxfordshire. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 Boundary Changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.
Bourton is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse about 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Highworth in neighbouring Wiltshire. The western boundary of the parish is a stream that also forms the county boundary. Bourton was part of the parish of Shrivenham until 1867. Bourton was part of Berkshire until the 1974 local government boundary changes transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire. The 2011 Census recorded the parish population as 326.
Drayton is a village and civil parish about 2 miles (3 km) south of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. The parish includes the hamlet of Sutton Wick. The 2011 Census recorded the parish population as 2,353.
Longcot is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse District. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. The village is about 3 miles (5 km) south of Faringdon and about 2.5 miles (4 km) northeast of Shrivenham. The A420 road between Swindon and Oxford passes through the parish 1 mile (1.6 km) northwest of the village. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 617.
Childrey is a village and civil parish about 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km) west of Wantage in the Vale of White Horse. The parish was part of the Wantage Rural District in Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire. The 2011 Census recorded the parish population as 582.
Marcham is a village and civil parish about 2 miles (3 km) west of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 1,905. The parish includes the hamlets of Cothill 1+3⁄4 miles (2.8 km) east-northeast of the village, and Gozzard's Ford 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) northeast of the village. Frilford and Garford used to be townships of Marcham parish, but are now separate civil parishes. All these parishes were part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred them to Oxfordshire.
Steventon is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England, about 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Abingdon and a similar distance west of Didcot. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. The 2011 Census recorded the parish population as 1,485.
Letcombe Regis is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire. The village is on Letcombe Brook at the foot of the Berkshire Downs escarpment about 1 mile (1.6 km) southwest of the market town of Wantage. The 2011 Census recorded the parish population as 578.
East Challow is a village and civil parish about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Wantage in the Vale of White Horse, England. Historically it was part of the ecclesiastical parish of Letcombe Regis, but since 1852 East and West Challow have formed their own single ecclesiastical parish. The civil parish was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire.
Woolstone is a village and civil parish about 4+1⁄2 miles (7 km) south of Faringdon in the Vale of White Horse. Woolstone was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. The 2011 Census recorded the parish population as 210.
Sparsholt is a village and civil parish about 3 miles (5 km) west of Wantage in the Vale of White Horse district of Oxfordshire. The parish includes the hamlet of Westcot about 1⁄2 mile (800 m) west of the village. Sparsholt was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire.
Letcombe Bassett is a village and civil parish about 2 miles (3 km) southwest of the market town of Wantage in the Vale of White Horse. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire. The 2011 Census recorded the parish population as 148. The village is a spring line settlement, being the source of Letcombe Brook at the foot of the Berkshire Downs escarpment. Hackpen, Warren & Gramp's Hill Downs Site of Special Scientific Interest is in the parish.
West Challow is a village and civil parish about 2 miles (3 km) west of the market town of Wantage in the Vale of White Horse. The village is on Childrey Brook, which is a tributary of the River Ock. West Challow was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 184.