ARDINGTON
Ardintone (xi cent.); Herdintone (xii cent.).
Ardington is a long and narrow parish extending
northward for about 5 miles from the heights of the
llsley Downs, which reach 700 ft., to the bottom of the
Vale of the White Horse. The total area is 2,693 acres.
Of this half is pasture land. (fn. 1) The northern slopes
of the downs are used for the feeding of young cattle,
which are afterwards fattened on the low ground to
the north of the village. The crops raised on the
arable land are various cereals and roots. The soil is
Chalk and Loam, on a subsoil of Chalk, Greensand
and Gault. There are many disused sand and gravelpits and a chalk quarry on the downs. The Ridgeway
runs along the whole ridge of downs on the south
side of the valley. Another road, which has the
ancient name of the Portway, is to the north of the
village and connects Wallingford and Wantage. The
tithe of an 'acre in the oupersyd of the portwey'
was in dispute between the Prior of Bicester and
the Abbot of Oseney in the 14th
century. (fn. 2)
The village, which is in the centre
of the parish, is surrounded by the
wooded grounds of Ardington House
and Lockinge House. The former is
the manor-house and was built in
1721. There was a 'capital messuage' in Ardington in 1235, when
the king granted William Longespée
twenty oaks to make rafters there (fn. 3) ;
it is mentioned again in 1311, (fn. 4) but
for the next two centuries the lords
of the manor were not resident, and
John Clarke must have built himself
a new manor-house when Ardington
came into his hands. (fn. 5) The first Clarke
mansion is said to have been situated
a mile away from the village. The
present house was the home, after the
Clarkes sold the manor, of Robert
Vernon, the owner of the famous
Vernon collection of pictures. (fn. 6) Ardington House is
now the residence of Lord Charles G. F. Petty-Fitzmaurice, M.V.O. Orpwood House, at the west end
of the village, was built by Lord Wantage, and is
occupied by the estate agent of Lady Wantage.
The church of the Holy Trinity was restored in
1887, largely at the expense of Lord Wantage. It
contains several monuments of the Clarke family, who
were lords of the manor here for two centuries, and
the last of whom, William Nelson Clarke, was the
historian of Wantage Hundred. In the churchyard
south of the church is the base and shaft of an old
cross. A modern cross has been erected on the north
side. The vicarage is a red brick building partly
Georgian and partly modern.
The Berkshire and Wiltshire Canal and the Great
Western railway pass through the north of the parish.
The nearest station is Steventon.
An inclosure award for Ardington was made in
1808. (fn. 7)
Manor
ARDINGTON in the reign of Edward
the Confessor was held by two freemen,
Edvin and Sawin. (fn. 8) In 1086 both their
estates had passed into the possession of Robert
Doyley, of whose honour of Wallingford they were
subsequently held as one knight's fee. (fn. 9) In Edvin's
holding there was a mill worth 11s. and 26 acres of
meadow. The second and larger holding had two
mills, one of which was unsuccessfully claimed by Cola,
an Englishman. The whole of Robert's estate in
Ardington was worth the considerable sum of £20. (fn. 10)
Early in the 12th century the lord of Wallingford
enfeoffed Gilbert Basset of seven knights' fees in the
honour. (fn. 11) Of these Ardington was one. (fn. 12) Gilbert
Basset was succeeded by his son Thomas, (fn. 13) and Thomas
by his son another Gilbert, who founded the priory of
Bicester. (fn. 14) He had a daughter and heir Eustacia,
who with her husband Richard de Camvill was in
possession of Ardington in 1208. (fn. 15) The manor
subsequently followed the descent of Avington (q.v.) (fn. 16)
until 1322, when the inheritance of Alice widow
of Thomas Earl of Lancaster was taken into the king's
hands on her husband's attainder; she subsequently
recovered a portion of it on releasing to the king her
claim on the rest, (fn. 17) but it seems that she never recovered
Ardington, which must have been granted soon after
the forfeiture to Ralph de Cobham. He died in
possession in 1325–6, (fn. 18) and it is possible that he had
previously held the manor on lease from the Earl of
Surrey, to whom the Earl of Lancaster had leased it
in 1319, and who granted Cobham lands elsewhere. (fn. 19)
The heir of Ralph was his son John de Cobham, (fn. 20)
who granted his mother Mary the manor of Ardington
for her life in exchange for a manor in Lincolnshire. (fn. 21)
She became the wife of Thomas Brotherton Earl of
Norfolk and died in possession in 1362. (fn. 22) In the
next year her son granted the manor with other
estates to the king and his heirs, receiving in return
a grant for life. (fn. 23) He demised his interest to Alice
Perrers, the king's favourite, (fn. 24) and in 1367 released to
her all his claim, (fn. 25) as did also John Duke of Lancaster. (fn. 26)
Ardington House
When Richard II resumed Alice Perrers's estates (fn. 27)
he granted Ardington to his half-brother John Earl
of Huntingdon, first for life (fn. 28) and later in fee to the
earl and his heirs by his wife Elizabeth. (fn. 29) After the
death and forfeiture of the earl (fn. 30) Elizabeth and her
second husband John Cornwall held the manor. (fn. 31) It
was subsequently inherited by her son John Earl of
Huntingdon, afterwards Duke of Exeter. (fn. 32) In 1430 he
settled it on himself and Anne his wife and their
heirs, with remainder to the heirs of his father and
mother. (fn. 33) His son Henry succeeded in 1447, (fn. 34) and
after Henry's death in 1461 the manor was granted
to the Archbishop of Canterbury and other feoffees to
hold to the use of his widow Anne Duchess of Exeter
for her life. (fn. 35) She granted it in 1466 to feoffees, (fn. 36)
who conveyed it ten years later to Thomas Marquess
of Dorset (fn. 37) in marriage settlement with her daughter
Anne. In 1482 he surrendered
the grant, (fn. 38) in order that a
new one might be made to Sir
Richard Grey, his brother. (fn. 39)
On the death of the latter the
manor was taken by Act of
Parliament into the hands of
the Crown, (fn. 40) and in 1484 it
was granted to Thomas Earl
of Derby and his son George
Lord Strange. (fn. 41)
Stanley, Earl of Derby. Argent a bend azure with three harts' heads caboshed or thereon.
The Earls of Derby continued to hold Ardington for
six generations, (fn. 42) ending with
William Earl of Derby, who
was lord of the manor in 1599. (fn. 43) About forty years
before that date, however, it had been leased by his
father to John Clarke, (fn. 44) who took up his residence
here. (fn. 45) His grandson Edward Clarke (fn. 46) purchased
the fee of the manor from Sir Thomas Leigh of
Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, in 1606, (fn. 47) and ten years
later received a grant from the king of the reversion,
to which the Crown was entitled in case of the
failure of issue to the Earls of Derby. (fn. 48)
Edward Clarke died in 1630, leaving a son and
heir John, (fn. 49) whose eldest son John died without issue in
1702, his heir being his brother
Richard. (fn. 50) Richard had a son
Edward, later married to Mary
Wiseman, (fn. 51) who was holding
the manor in 1713. (fn. 52) His son
William Wiseman Clarke was
his heir. (fn. 53) Another William
Wiseman Clarke, son of the
last, held the manor till 1826,
when his son William Nelson
Clarke succeeded. (fn. 54) He sold
Ardington about 1833 to
Robert Vernon, (fn. 55) who left it to
his nephew Captain Leicester
Viney Vernon. On the death
of the latter in 1860 it was
purchased by Col. Loyd-Lindsay, afterwards Lord
Wantage. Lady Wantage is the present owner.
Clarke of Ardington. Argent a fesse between three crosses formy sable with three roundels argent on the fesse.
The right of free warren belonged to the lords of
this manor from the time of William Longespée the
younger. (fn. 56)
Church
The church of the HOLY TRINITY
consists of a chancel 25 ft. 6 in. by 13 ft.
8 in., nave 51 ft. 6 in. by 17 ft. 3 in.,
with south aisle, making a total width of 28 ft. 8 in.,
north and south chapels, tower 9 ft. 8 in. square on
the north of the nave, and north porch. All the
measurements are internal.
The earliest part of the existing structure is the
nave with the south arcade and chancel arch, which
date from c. 1200. In the 13th century the present
chancel was built with its side chapels and the north
tower added. In the following century the north
porch was built and in the 15th century the two
arches were inserted in the west walls of the chancel
chapels. The church was extensively restored in the
19th century, when the nave was lengthened by one
bay, the south aisle and north chapel were rebuilt and
the tower refaced and finished with a spire.
The 13th-century chancel has a 15th-century
east window of three lights with restored tracery in
a pointed head. In the north wall is a 15th-century
window of two round-headed lights in an earlier
opening having a segmental rear arch. Further west
is an early 13th-century pointed arch of two hollowchamfered orders opening into the north chapel; the
inner order rests on side shafts with moulded capitals
and bases much restored; to the east of it is a squint
with a segmental pointed head. The window in the
south wall consists of coupled lancet lights with good
mouldings under a segmental pointed and moulded
rear arch, all of the 13th century. The sill is carried
down to form a sedile, and further east is a trefoilheaded piscina with a moulded hood, shelf and
circular drain. The 13th-century arch to the south
chapel is of two segmental pointed and chamfered
orders dying on to the responds. To the east of it
is a squint with a pointed head. The chancel arch
of about 1200 is of three acutely pointed and
chamfered orders springing from side shafts with
recut capitals and bases largely original. The modern
decorations of the chancel include a painted stencilled
roof, diapered walls, carved and painted oak reredos,
painted panels on the side walls, carved rood screen
and organ case, and a marble pavement of chequer
work. The outer walls of the north chapel are
modern 'decorated' of poor design and the roof is
vaulted. In the south wall is a trefoil-headed piscina,
and the squint on this side has a moulded trefoiled
opening, the base of which forms a sedile. This
work is of the 13th century considerably restored.
In the west wall is a curious segmental pointed arch
of three chamfered orders and apparently of 15thcentury date opening into the tower. The south
chapel has two pairs of coupled lancets in the south
wall and a moulded trefoiled head to the squint in the
north wall. The arch opening into the nave aisle is
of the 15th century and is four-centred, the inner
order resting on carved corbels, the southern being
very elaborate with a lion, dragon and trees.
The nave has in the north wall a 13th-century
pointed arch of two chamfered orders opening into the
tower, but much restored. The north doorway of
about 1200 is of two semicircular moulded orders, the
inner with a line of dog-tooth ornament and the outer
resting on side shafts with mutilated foliage capitals and
square abaci. Further west is a deeply splayed lancet
window of the same date and set high in the wall
and beyond it is a large uncusped window of two
lights, restored. The south arcade of four bays has
pointed arches of a single chamfered order resting
on circular columns with good foliage capitals and
restored bases on square plinths; the responds are
square with moulded abaci, and in the eastern is a
small niche with a projecting bowl. The third pier
of the nave with the two half arches springing from
it is modern; the rest of the work is of about 1200,
the western respond and half arch being reset. The
south aisle was rebuilt and perhaps widened at the
restoration, but the old windows and door were reset.
The first window is of the 16th century and has
three square-headed lights with transoms, and the
second consists of 13th-century coupled lancets. The
restored 14th-century south doorway, further west,
is moulded and pointed with ball-flower ornament,
and above it is a 16th-century window of two squareheaded lights. The other windows, with the west
wall and window of the nave, are modern. The
nave roof is ancient and has curved principals with
foliage bosses in the centres of the collars; it rests
on carved human-head corbels of good design.
The north tower is three stages high and is finished
with a modern broach spire of stone rising from a
cornice on carved stone corbels. The tower has been
refaced, but the diagonal buttresses at the outer angles
are partly old. The ground stage has a modern
north window, but the first floor has good old
carved corbels. The 14th-century north porch has
a moulded outer archway with a modern head. In
the west wall is a single-light window, and built into
the east or tower wall is a late 13th-century gable
piece carved with two dragons. Above the outer
arch inside is a carved canopy head.
Against the east wall of the south chapel is a handsome painted Jacobean monument to John Clarke and
Susannah (Temple) his wife, erected by their son
Edward; it has Corinthian side columns, a cleft pediment, angels, cherubs, and a coat of arms. In the
north chapel is a large modern kneeling figure of marble
with an inscription recording the benefactions of
Robert Vernon, 1849. A few old tiles remain in both
chapels. In the eastern window of the south aisle
is some old grisaille glass with a shield of arms, Barry
gules and argent. The 14th-century font has a
massive octagonal bowl with a row of ball flowers
round its base. The hexagonal pulpit is Jacobean
with good carved and arcaded panels and a modern
sounding-board. In the south aisle is a fine large
panelled chest inscribed 'Richard Freetwell, founder,
R.M. + I.B. churchwardens, A.D. 1638.'
There are six bells, all recast by J. Taylor of
Loughborough in 1855.
The plate includes a cup and cover paten
(London, 1573) with chased ornament; a flagon
(London, 1633) inscribed, 'For the honour of Christ
and pious use of humble Communicants at his table
J Robert Batten give this for ever to the Parish Church
of Ardington in Com Berkes aetat. meae 57 ano
1633.' 'Quae transferre solent alii post Funera
Batten Vivus Dona magis dat sua grata Deo M. B. Vic.';
a paten (London, 1636) given by the same donor in
1636; and a modern cup and paten silver gilt.
The registers begin in 1674.
Advowson
The church of Ardington was
granted by Gilbert Basset about
1182 to his newly-founded priory of
Bicester. (fn. 57) In 1192 Pope Celestine gave licence for
the appropriation of the church, (fn. 58) and a vicarage was
subsequently ordained. (fn. 59) The priory continued to
hold the church till the Dissolution, when it was
granted to the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church,
Oxford. (fn. 60) They continued to present till the late
19th century, (fn. 61) when the advowson was purchased by
Lord Wantage. Lady Wantage is the present patron.
In 1074 Robert Doyley granted certain tithes in
the lordship of Ardington to the chapel of St. George
within the castle of Oxford. (fn. 62) This chapel and its
possessions were subsequently annexed to Oseney
Abbey, (fn. 63) and Richard de Camvill confirmed the right
of the abbot to collect his tithes here. (fn. 64) The abbey
had a portion of £1 in the church in 1291. (fn. 65)
Charities
It is stated in the Parliamentary
Returns of 1786 that Robert Hibberd
gave £24 to the poor, and from a
mural tablet in the church, dated 1618, it appeared
that Richard Freetwell gave £30 to the church and
poor, the interest to be disposed of as follows: 8s.
for preaching a sermon on the first Sunday in
September, and, after the sermon, 4d. and a penny
loaf to everyone living by alms of the parish. These
two gifts, with accumulations, are now represented
by £67 14s. 3d. India 3½ per cent. stock in the
names of Henry Eden Trotter and two other
persons.
In 1849 Robert Vernon, by his will proved in
the P.C.C., gave £1,666 13s. 4d. consols, now with
the official trustees, the dividends to be applied for
the benefit of the poor.
In 1877 Francis Clarke, by his will proved at
Oxford, gave £100, the income to be distributed to
the poor. The legacy is represented by £104 12s. 6d.
consols with the official trustees.
The income of the charities, amounting to £46 13s.
yearly, is applied as follows: two pensions of 1s. weekly
are paid to two widows and the remainder of the
income is distributed in coal and clothing among
about fifty or sixty recipients.