Monday 12 August 2019

Faringdon Town


Faringdon was is a Market Town in West Oxfordshire, up to the 1974 it was in North Berkshire. I visited to go and see All Saints Church which is just off the market place. On my way back I took a few photos of the town.






The church I visited from the footpath. It will feature in the Church Explorer in a month or so




 From the churchyard you look over to the market place
 This is Church Street looking towards the Market place

 I wondered what the pillar was but after some research I found it it is the Portwell Pump. Given to the town by Sir Henry Unton, Lord of the Manor in the 16th Century, it was the town’s only piped water supply and fed an animal trough. A heavy lead cup, securely chained, was for the use of passers-by. Not sure they would get away with that now



Above the Old Town Hall (Market Hall)  Built in the 17C, it was a hive of activity on market days when farmers’ wives would sell their surplus eggs, butter and cheeses under the shelter of the meeting room above.

The road on the left is Marlborough Street and on the right is Gloucester Street
The last photo I took as I went back to the carpark was of the Cork Exchange opened in 1863. The hall itself was built as a Corn Exchange where local farmers congregated to sell their surplus grain to millers and dealers away from the noise of the animals in the main market place. Found it a fascinating two which I would not mind returning to sometime.
Taking Part in Our World Tuesday


8 comments:

  1. I love these small towns and villages in Europe. I hope someday I get to see them.

    Worth a Thousand Words

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  2. Looks like a charming little town. Lovely photos.

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  3. it's very special seeing these quintessential English towns through your lens Billy...makes me very nostalgic for a visit 'back 'ome'

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  4. There is something lovely about the pump for the town, with an attached cup.

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  5. What a little gem - it's amazing how many of these little towns there are across the country, known only to local people but worthy of much wider fame.

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  6. What a beautiful view of this lovely town.

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  7. Interesting town! A lead cup does not sound like a good idea.

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