Letcombe Regis is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire. The village is on Letcombe Brook at the foot of the Berkshire Downs escarpment about 1 mile (1.6 km) southwest of the market town of Wantage. The 2011 Census recorded the parish population as 578.[1]

Letcombe Regis
St Andrew's Church
Letcombe Regis is located in Oxfordshire
Letcombe Regis
Letcombe Regis
Location within Oxfordshire
Population578 (2011 Census)
OS grid referenceSU3886
Civil parish
  • Letcombe Regis
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townWantage
Postcode districtOX12
Dialling code01235
PoliceThames Valley
FireOxfordshire
AmbulanceSouth Central
UK Parliament
WebsiteLetcombe Regis Parish Council
List of places
UK
England
Oxfordshire
51°34′34″N 1°27′11″W / 51.576°N 1.453°W / 51.576; -1.453

History

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The parish includes Segsbury Camp, an Iron Age hill fort on the crest of the Downs just over a mile south of the village. The Domesday Book of 1086 records Letcombe Regis. The name may come from the Old English Ledecumbe meaning the "lede in the combe" – i.e. "the brook in the valley." "Regis" may derive from the Latin 'rex' meaning 'Royal' with 'Regis' meaning The King's, giving, perhaps, "The Kings brook in the valley."

From 1959 to 2002 the Letcombe Laboratory, a major centre for plant research, was located at the Letcombe Manor Estate. The centre was initially a UK government laboratory, but was sold to the chemical company Dow Elanco in 1985.

Parish church

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The Church of England parish church of Saint Andrew is a Grade II* listed building.[2] St Andrew's parish is part of the Ridgeway Benefice, along with the parishes of Childrey, Kingston Lisle, Letcombe Bassett, Sparsholt and West Challow.[3]

Amenities

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The Morland plaque, the Greyhound Inn

Letcombe Regis has a public house, the Greyhound Inn[4] and a village hall.[5] Letcombe has a non-League football club, Letcombe F.C., which plays at Bassett Road[6] and is a member of Wiltshire League Premier Division.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Letcombe Regis Parish (1170217884)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  2. ^ Historic England. "Church of St Andrew (Grade II*) (1368706)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  3. ^ "Ridgeway Benefice". Wantage Deanery. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  4. ^ "Welcome". The Greyhound Inn. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  5. ^ "Welcome to Letcombe Regis Village Hall". Letcombe Regis Village Hall. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  6. ^ "Facilities". Letcombe F.C. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  7. ^ "First Team". Letcombe F.C. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2019.

Bibliography

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  Media related to Letcombe Regis at Wikimedia Commons