| Old Burghclere | |
|---|---|
 From half-way up Beacon Hill looking north-east across the major road junction and Old Burghclere village to the right. | |
  Old Burghclere Location within Hampshire | |
| OS grid reference | SU4657 |
| Civil parish | |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Newbury |
| Postcode district | RG20 |
| Dialling code | 01635 |
| Police | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| Fire | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
Old Burghclere is part of Burghclere in Hampshire, England, located south of the large town of Newbury near the A34 road. The village of Burghclere, but less so Old Burghclere, was once on the A34 and has now been by-passed, although this section is not really part of the Newbury bypass.
Burghclere has been known variously as: Clere Episcopi, Burcler (xiii cent.); Bisshopesclere, Bourghclere, Burghclere (xiv cent.); Boroughclere, Burghcleere, Boroweclere, Burcleare (xvi cent.); Burroughclere, Borough Cleere, and Burgh Cleere (xvii cent.).[1]
Burghclere is a large parish five miles west of Kingsclere, and is immediately adjacent to Highclere, which is on its western boundary. In the heart of Old Burghclere, in centre of the whole Burghclere parish stands the old church of All Saints, and close by is Burghclere Manor House, which was formerly the rectory. Burghclere Farm is north of the old church.[2]
In 1233 the common fields (campi) of Burghclere comprised Stock (67½ acres), Surlande (31½ acres), Harebert and Leylie (242 acres), Lendecumbe (151 acres), as well as 10 acres of meadow dispersed over the manor. These commons were inclosed in 1783.[3]
The southern part of the parish (Old Burghclere) is open down country. Beacon Hill, which is 842 feet above the ordnance datum, is here a conspicuous landmark, upon which are the remains of an ancient earthwork. Down Farm lay east of the hill close to the former Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway run by the Great Western Railway, which ran almost due north from here through the parish.
The total acreage of the parish of Burghclere is 5,269 acres, of which 1,740 acres are arable land, 2,174 acres permanent grass and 500 acres woods and plantations (1911). The chief crops are wheat, barley and oats (1911); the soil varies, being chiefly gravel and chalk, the subsoil chalk and greensand.[4]
- ^ A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume iv, Victoria County History (VCH), London, 1911, pages 277-281.
- ^ The modern church of The Ascension stands on a hill in the north of the parish; near it are the school and the rectory. Earlstone Common and Burghclere Common are in this part of the parish, and east of these commons is the estate of Adbury Park. Earlstone Farm on the northwest side of the river which forms the north-eastern boundary of the parish and Earlstone are south of Earlstone Common, and on the north side of Burghclere Common is the small parish of Newtown, the chapelry of which is annexed to the rectory of Burghclere. Other places of importance in the parish are Heatherwold in the north, Whitway on a hill on the north-west boundary, Wergs one mile north-east of the village and Palmer's Hill. The Methodist chapel, built in 1864 and rebuilt in 1894, is north of Whitway, near the old Newbury road. (A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume iv, Victoria County History (VCH), London, 1911, pages 277-281.)
- ^ Some place-names of interest are Le Byle, Erchelreston and Harte (1558), Garstone (14th century), Nochesland and Pilgrims' Farm at Earlstone, which probably derived its name from being on the line of an ancient trackway, a pilgrims' way which leads to Winchester. (A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume iv, Victoria County History (VCH), London, 1911, pages 277-281.)
- ^ A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume iv, Victoria County History (VCH), London, 1911, pages 277-281.