East Challow
| East Challow | |
| Berkshire | |
|---|---|
 St Nicholas, East Challow | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SU3888 |
| Location: | 51°35’28"N, 1°25’23"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 1,071 (2001) |
| Post town: | Wantage |
| Postcode: | OX12 |
| Dialling code: | 01235 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Vale of White Horse |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Wantage |
East Challow is a village in western Berkshire, about a mile west of Wantage in the Vale of White Horse. Historically it was part of the ecclesiastical parish of Letcombe Regis, but since 1852 East and West Challow together have formed their own single ecclesiastical parish.[1]
East Challow has a single public house, the Goodlake Arms.
Name of the village
Challow's name was recorded as Ceueslaue in the Domesday Book in 1086.[1] 13th century variants included Chaulea, Chaulauhe, Chawelawe and Shawelawe.[1] The first element is uncertain but "-low" is the Old English hlaw, meaning "hill".
Parish church
The parish church, St Nicholas, was a Norman building of the 12th century, but the font and some masonry of the nave are now almost the only features surviving from this time.[1] In the 13th century the chancel and chancel arch were rebuilt and the bell-cot and three-bay north aisle was added.[2] The Decorated Gothic south chapel was added early in the 14th century.[2]
The communion table was made in the 17th century.[1] In the 18th century the aisle was rebuilt in brick and a porch was added over a 12th-century doorway.[1] In 1858 St. Nicholas' was drastically restored,[2] with the aisle and west front being rebuilt and the nave re-roofed.[1] The rebuilding of the west front removed a 12th-century west doorway and a 15th-century west window above it.[1] In 1884 the west tower was added at the west end of the aisle.[1][2] The oak rood screen was added in 1905.[1]
St Nicholas' has two bells.[1] They are not dated, but the smaller was cast by Robert Wells of Aldbourne in Wiltshire,[1] which makes it very likely to date from the 18th century.
References
Sources
- Page, W.H.; Ditchfield, P.H., eds (1924). A History of the County of Berkshire, Volume 4. Victoria County History. pp. 478–485.
- Pevsner, Nikolaus (1966). Berkshire. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. p. 131.
