Located in the county of Oxfordshire, and around 15 miles southwest of Oxford, is the town of Wantage. Historically it was part of Berkshire until 1974.
The first recorded reference to the town goes back to the 8th century, where it was written as 'Wandesiege', allegedly deriving from Old English for 'decreasing river'.
In 849 AD Alfred the Great was born in Wantage. In 871 he became King of Wessex, and by 886 he was dubbed King of the Anglo-Saxons. His rule proved pivotal as he was able to limit the progress of the Viking invasions by establishing 'burhs' i.e. fortified settlements. Two of his children would continue in this regard, as his son Edward the Elder succeeded as King of the Anglo-Saxons in 899, while his daughter Æthelflæd became Queen of Mercia from 911. It was in the early 10th century that the Viking threat was largely subdued during the respective rule of these two siblings following the establishment of more burhs, particularly around the frontier of Mercia and the Danelaw, although it would return later. Alfred also revolutionised education by ensuring that it was conducted in English, thus not limiting it to Latin-speakers.
In 1246 a market charter was granted to Wantage by Henry III. At the heart of the town, and just west of the market place, is the Church of St Peter and St Paul. This dates from the late 13th century, with 15th century additions.
In 1875 the Wantage Tramway opened. This transported passengers and goods between the town and Wantage Road station, which was located in the neighbouring village of Grove, about two miles to the north. The tramway closed to passengers in 1925, and to goods in 1945. Wantage Road station closed in the 1960s as part of the Beeching cuts - a controversial scheme to encourage road travel by closing over 2,000 railway stations in Great Britain. Today, public transport to Wantage consists of direct buses from Oxford, Abingdon, Didcot, Faringdon and various local towns and villages.
Historically, Wantage was part of the county of Berkshire up until 1974 when, under local government reorganisation, it became part of Oxfordshire and the seat of the Vale of White Horse District Council.
Famous people from Wantage, aside from Alfred the Great, include jockey Lester Piggott.
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Filmed: 24th June 2023
Link to the walk on Google Maps: [ Ссылка ]
Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Wallingford Street
2:18 Newbury Street
3:56 Market Place
5:55 Church Street
6:08 Church of St Peter and St Paul
6:18 Church Street
8:03 Market Place
9:12 Alfred the Great Statue
9:34 Market Place
10:31 Mill Street
10:49 Grove Street
12:40 Mill Street
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