ABOVE IS A PICTORIAL ILLUSTRATION OF THE RURAL ENVIRONS AROUND FARINGDON. "O'BRIAN '84", [lower right] - THE ARTIST IS A LOCAL LADY, A FORMER SCHOOL-TEACHER AT LONGCOT. SHOWN ARE THE SMALL VILLAGES OF WEST OXFORDSHIRE IN CENTRAL SOUTHERN ENGLAND - THEY LIE ALMOST EQUIDISTANT FROM SWINDON AND OXFORD. FARINGDON WAS THE FIRST CAPITAL OF WESSEX - THAT HUGE EXPANSE THAT WAS CENTRAL AND SOUTH WESTERN BRITAIN. HAS BELONGED TO BERKSHIRE COUNTY, BUT FUNCTIONS AS AN OUTPOST OF SWINDON IN WILTSHIRE, PRESENTLY.

THIS WAS CIVIL WAR COUNTRY! VERY LITTLE OF FARINGDON TOWN REMAINS FROM BEFORE THE MID SEVENTEENTH CENTURY - THERE WAS A CASTLE ONCE. FIRE HAD REGULARLY RAVAGED THE THATCHED COTTAGES EVEN BEFORE WAR DAMAGE. NEVERTHELESS, A FINE TOWN HALL ON STONE STILTS CAN STILL BE SEEN, RECENT MINOR RENOVATIONS; MAJOR TOWN SQUARE IMPROVEMENTS SLOW TRAFFIC AND REDUCE ROAD WIDTHS. NOT SO VISIBLE, THE FOUNDATIONS OF MANY BUILDINGS ARE QUITE ANCIENT. PUMP LANE, THE SITE OF WORKERS HOVELS, STABLES AND, OF COURSE, WATER PUMP (TO BE RECONDITIONED) HAS RECENTLY HAD A BLOCK WALL ERECTED ACROSS IT (BUT THE STABLES/HOVELS HAVE BEEN RESTORED AS A SINGLE RESIDENCE)! REMOTE VANDALS MASQUERADING AS COUNCIL PLANNERS & ADMINISTRATORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MUCH OF THE DESTRUCTION NOW UNDERWAY; A FORMER CHAIRWOMAN OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE HAD, REPUTEDLY, PERMITTED THE DESECRATION OF LARGE TRACTS OF THE SUBURBS OF OXFORD CITY, TURNING THEM INTO URBAN JUNGLES INHABITED BY PETTY CRIMINALS AND DRUG DEALERS! IT'S THE SAME THE WHOLE WORLD OVER, AND THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES - IGNORANCE, POWER, GREED AND JEALOUSY! FARINGDON ITSELF IS UNDERGOING A LARGE DOSE OF URBAN DEVLOPMENT BLIGHT, OVER THE "ANTHRAX PIT" AMONGST OTHER DEFECTS OF THE SITE - EAT YOUR HEART OUT, SADDAM! [Latest info: they didn't find the pit itself. Not finding it isn't proof that it isn't there!!!] ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, ARCHEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS WERE PERMITTED; AN IRON-AGE (500-1500BC) SETTLEMENT EMERGED. THIS DATING MATCHES THAT OF THE UFFINGTON WHITE HORSE. POST-HOLES FOR A LONG BARN AND ROUND HOUSE WERE IDENTIFIED AS WELL AS GRAIN STORAGE BUNKERS. A ROMAN SHRINE, POTTERY AND COINS WERE UNEARTHED. AT DEC2000, THE IRON-AGE SETTLEMENT WAS BULLDOZED OUT OF EXISTENCE. THE SECOND FIELD HAD A THREE-FOOT SURFACE LAYER OF SOIL SCRAPED AWAY FOR STATUTORY EXAMINATION UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE COUNTY ARCHEOLOGIST. EVIDENCE OF IRON AGE, ROMAN AND MEDIEVAL SETTLEMENT HAD BEEN CLEARLY APPARENT. ALTHOUGH BADLY DISTURBED BY PREVIOUS ACTIVITY, THIS HAD EMERGED AS AN EXCITING FIND BUT IS NO LONGER. THE WHOLE SITE NOW CONTAINS A HIGH DENSITY DEVELOPMENT OF 112 DWELLINGS COSTING £200k AND WELL ABOVE. NO CHANCE THAT THE PRIME MINISTER AND HIS DEPUTY WERE TAKEN SERIOUSLY WHEN PUBLICLY STATING THAT THERE WOULD BE NO MORE DEVELOPMENT ON SITES OF ARCHEOLOGICAL INTEREST?! A PLANNING MEETING OBVIOUSLY HAD A HIDDEN AGENDA - NO ACCOUNT WAS TAKEN OF ANY REPRESENTATIONS. TIME TO OPEN UP THE PERSONNEL FILES AND BANK ACCOUNTS OF THE RELEVANT OFFICIALS? PERSONAL EXPERIENCE PROVIDES AMPLE EVIDENCE THAT TRUTH HAS BEEN THE USUAL HOSTAGE TO FORTUNE! AND NOW A NEW BLIGHT IS ABROAD IN OUR FAIR TOWN. DUE TO A MONUMENTAL C.U. IN THE DEPT.OF THE ENVIRONMENT, EVERYWHERE ONE CAN SEE NEW HOMESTEAD SPRINGING UP IN FOLKS' BACK GARDENS. IT WAS INTENDED THAT THE LEGISLATION WOULD ENCOURAGE BROWN-FIELD DEVELOPMENT TO PROVIDE NEW HOMES FOR THE NEEDY. BUT, INSTEAD, ALL THE GREEDY PIGS IN THIS PARISH WHO HAVE A SPARE PIECE OF GROUND ON THEIR PATCH ARE BUILDING EXECUTIVE MANSIONS OR EVEN MINI ESTATES FOR THE WEALTHY ON POCKET-HANDKERCHIEF PARCELS OF LAND. WITH THE CREDIT CRUNCH RAGING, LET'S HOPE THEY FAIL TO SELL AND SEND THEIR DEVELOPERS IN BANKRUPTCY.

FARINGDON CHURCH, WITH SAXON AND NORMAN REMANENTS, HAS IT'S STEEPLE MISSING, VARIOUSLY ATTRIBUTED TO CIVIL WAR ACTIVITY, STRONG WINDS OR CARELESS CONSTRUCTION WORKERS - THE FORMER ALMOST CERTAINLY THE CAUSE, SINCE RECORDS EXIST OF IT IN PLACE. THE OLD RAILWAY STATION IS ALMOST IN TACT, BEING USED AS A KINDERGARTEN. THE MANOR (FARINGDON HOUSE), BUILT 1780 FOR POET LAUREATE TO GEORGE III, HENRY PYE, PASSED INTO CHARITABLE STATUS EARLIER THIS CENTURY. "Sing-A-Song-of-Sixpence" WAS WRITTEN AS A PUN ON PYE BY STEVENS. THERE IS A MODERN FOLLY TOWER ON THE EASTERN RIDGE, SITE OF BARONS WAR OF 1135 - BUILT BY BERNERS IN 1935 AS THE LAST FOLLY IN BRITAIN.

TO THE NORTH OF THE TOWN, ARE THE PLAINS OF THE UPPER THAMES REACHES, WITH ANCIENT HOSTELRIES STILL ATTRACTING STEADY CUSTOM: FURTHER NORTH, IS BURFORD AND THE COTSWOLDS. TO THE SOUTH LIES UFFINGTON VILLAGE AND THE ORIGINAL WHITE HORSE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE DOWNS, RECENTLY MORE RELIABLY (SOIL FLUORESCENCE) DATED THREE MILLENIA OLD. ATOP THE DOWNS IS UFFINGTON CASTLE (A REAL CASTLE, COMPRISING MOUND AND DITCH), THE RIDGEWAY AND WAYLAND SMITHY'S CAVE (A LONG BARROW).

WEST, BARELY A MILE, AT GREAT COXWELL, STANDS THE LARGEST, OLDEST TITHE BARN :

THAT VILLAGE ALSO POSSESSES AN INTERESTING TWELFTH CENTURY CHURCH WITH ANCIENT CARVED GLASS WINDOW PANES. ALSO WEST OF FARINGDON LIES BADBURY CLUMP, A FORESTRY COMMISSION OUTCROP OVER YET ANOTHER ANCIENT CASTLE - GOOD FUNGI CAN BE HAD IN THE AUTUMN! A COUPLE OF MILES WEST FINDS THE NATIONAL TRUST VILLAGE OF COLESHILL CONSTRUCTED ENTIRELY OF FAMOUS COTSWOLD STONE - FAMOUS PUB WITH EVEN MORE FAMOUS POP STAR LIVING NEXT DOOR!

FIVE MILES FURTHER WEST, IN THE COUNTY OF WILTSHIRE, IS HIGHWORTH, ANOTHER CIVIL WAR TOWN: A CANONBALL EXCISED FROM THE WALL IS ON SHOW INSIDE THE CHURCH. THE UNDERGROUND PASSAGEWAYS BETWEEN CHURCH, PUB, WINE BAR AND WORKHOUSE STILL EXIST BUT ARE STOPPED OFF.

SOME DISTANCE TO THE SOUTH WEST IS AVEBURY VILLAGE, SURROUNDED BY THE ESSENTIAL, ENIGMATIC STONE CIRCLE VISITED BY THE COGNOSCENTI - BIGGER AND INFINITELY MORE SPECTACULAR THAN STONEHENGE. AUG99 - A SECOND AVENUE OF 'STANDING' STONES, LONG PREDICTED, WAS DISCOVERED.

TO THE EAST LIES OXFORD CITY, OF RELATIVELY RECENT VINTAGE, APPEALING TO SOME MAYBE. THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS PERHAPS WOULD BE BETTER RETURNED TO THE CHURCH AUTHORITIES FROM WHENCE THEY CAME, AS LITTLE OF ACADEMIC CONSEQUENCE HAS HAPPENED THERE FOR CENTURIES, IF AT ALL! OXFORD TOWN HOSTS THE SEAT OF CLASS DIVISION, CAPITILISM, CANT, HYPOCRISY AND ALL THAT IS UNACCEPTAPLE IN BRITISH SOCIETY.

SWINDON, THE VERY ANTITHESIS OF OXFORD, IS HOME TO THE POST-INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION PROLETARIAT. A BETTER CENTRE FOR THE TRAPPINGS OF MODERN SHOPPING CONCOURSES - TWO NEW RETAIL OUTLETS WITHIN THE OLD GWR WORKS - PRAISED BY HRH PoW, NO LESS! IT HAS SOME INTEREST AS BRUNELS' OLD RAILWAY TOWN; IT SPORTED A SMALL RAILWAY MUSEUM., SO POPULAR NOW MOVED AND ENLARGED. TOUCHING ON THE WEST SIDE OF SWINDON, IS WOOTTON BASSETT, FORMER REGIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE CENTRE ALSO POSSESSING A FINE TOWN HALL ON STONE PILLARS. UNTIL THE 1960'S THIS WAS A SLEEPY VILLAGE BOASTING MORE PUBLIC HOUSES PER RESIDENT THAN ANYWHERE IN THE BRITISH ISLES EXCEPT EIRE! DEVELOPERS' BLIGHT HAS UTTERLY DESTROYED ITS CHARACTER.

HEADING MUCH FURTHER WEST IS AQUAE SULIS (BATH) UNDERGOING MAJOR , BUT COSTLY & CONTROVERSIAL, RENOVATION; THEN NORTH WEST OF FARINGDON IS CORINIUM DUBINORUM (CIRENCESTER). BOTH WERE MAJOR ROMAN TOWNS WITH GOOD RELICS TO VISIT. WEST AGAIN SOME FIFTY MILES LIES BRISTOL, ONE OF THE NATIONS ' OLDEST SEAPORTS. FROM HERE SAILED THE ENGLISH PLUNDERERS OF THE EMPIRE. LIKE LIVERPOOL, IT WAS A MAJOR DEPOT FOR THE SLAVE TRADERS. THEY CERTAINLY LEARNED WELL FROM THOSE OLD ROMANS WHO HAD BEEN THERE, DONE THAT, MAYBE EVEN WORN THE TOGA, TO PARAPHRASE, CENTURIES BEFORE!

RETURNING TO FARINGDON, THIS IS A USEFUL TOURING CENTRE FOR THOSE WITH TIME TO LOOK, ASK AND LEARN - FIVE YEARS SHOULD SUFFICE FOR A BRIEF VISIT. IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THE "IF-THIS-IS-TUESDAY-IT-MUST-BE-BELGIUM" CROWD WOULD ENJOY IT, THOUGH!

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page