ARDINGTON & EAST AND WEST LOCKINGE
Ardington
and East and West Lockinge are essentially estate villages
nestling at the foot of the Berkshire Downs with much of the property owned by the Lockinge Estate.
The estate extends to approximately 7500 acres of farmland
and 210 domestic and commercial units.
The villages are classic Victorian estate villages. Many
footpaths lead through them and through woodlands planted
in 1993 on a hillside with views over the villages, older
woodlands and the Downs. A series of lakes and connecting
streams run through the two parishes.
Ardington is the larger of the three with an award winning
public house and a village store, the latter offering
post office facilities and a bistro. The village is also
home to a conference centre, the Loyd Lindsay Rooms, and
a nursery school. Many of the original Victorian farm
buildings located throughout the three villages have been
sympathetically converted into commercial accommodation. Ardington also has a thriving shop/tearoom/bistro/Post
office where, unusually for a small village, serving refreshments
which may be enjoyed inside or in the attractive garden.
The Grade II* listed Church of Holy Trinity in Ardington dates from c.1200
(nave, chancel and north doorway) and is in the Early
English style. For the history and full information about the Church of the Holy Trinity click here.
Ardington House, a Baroque house on the edge of the village, dates from 1720. The house is famous for its Imperial Staircase which comprises two matching flights leading into one and is considered by experts to be one of the finest examples in Britain.
East Lockinge is by far the larger of the Lockinges. The Grade II* listed All
Saints' Church at East Lockinge stands in a delightful
rural location close to the lake. The earliest parts date
from c.1150 . For the history and full information about All Saints Church click here.
West Lockinge appears to be little more than West Lockinge
Farm, which was where Best Mate, a three-time winner of
Cheltenham Gold Cup, was trained. His statue stands on
the Green in East Lockinge.
The villages are
just off the A417 between Wantage and Harwell about 2 miles east of Wantage.
